


Now or Never

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Explicit Language, Fluff, Harry Potter Next Generation, Post War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-26
Updated: 2010-07-08
Packaged: 2018-10-27 15:09:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 181,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10811481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: There was no questioning that her competition with Scorpius Malfoy was right personal, and Rose Weasley intended to win at all costs.  Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, a different kind of conflict arose, and for the first time in her life, she was less than confident about conquering it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Yes, I'm reposting this story after I accidentally deleted the entire thing trying to delete a doubly-posted chapter. *sighs for computer illiteracy*  I really appreciate everyone who has been following it!

**Chapter 1**  

“Rosie, _come on_ ,” Al whispered, pulling on her sleeve, “before she gives you detention again.  You know what your mum said if it happened again.”

Rose Weasley glared at her cousin as she jerked her arm away and began packing up her books.  “I know, alright,” she muttered under her breath.  “I _do_ remember what happened last time.  She was positively livid.” Rose rolled her eyes and threw her books into her bag.  “But bugger it all, Al.  What the hell _is_ that woman thinking?” 

“Do we have a problem, Miss Weasley?” Zabini smirked, and Rose bit her tongue to keep from informing her potions instructor that her parents had, in fact, been quite right – that she really _was_ a ‘horrid cow’ and that her nose really _did_ look like she’d been hit in the face with a board.  But it was Quidditch against Slytherin tomorrow, and there was no way she was risking detention from the Head of Slytherin House, who would undoubtedly find a way for Gryffindor’s seeker to miss the match if given the opportunity.

“No, Professor,” Rose replied, gritting her teeth.  “There’s no problem.”  _At least not one I’m going to share with **you**_.  Rose threw her book bag over her shoulder, and with one last scathing look, she and Al left the dungeon classroom.  She was so angry that Al was nearly sprinting to keep up with her.

“And it isn’t as if complaining to _Zabini_ about it would help.  You know she always sides with her own House,” Al continued once they were safely outside.  “I suppose you _could_ complaint to Uncle Neville about it.  You know how much he loves to have a go at her.” 

Rose snorted despite her irritation.  “Oh, as if I would give Pansy Zabini the satisfaction of bringing him into it.  But you know she hopes this will sabotage my grade in that class.”  She sighed warily, continuing her trek towards the library.  “No, I’ll just have to suffer through the last five months of my sixth year with a fake smile on my face,” which she demonstrated for him, “and do whatever it takes to maintain my position in the class is all.”

_The top position_ , she thought, _just above Scorpius Malfoy._   A blush crept up her cheeks at the implications of that statement, and Rose was grateful that Al was a step behind her and couldn’t see it.

“You know, I think that maybe this is for the best.”

She stopped and spun around.  “Oh really?  And how do you reckon that?”

“Well, it will prove once and for all that you deserve the top spot,” Al reasoned, and Rose eyed him thoughtfully, admitting that he _did_ have a point and maybe he was right.  _On the other hand_ , she thought, _he could be telling me what I want to hear just to shut me up_.  After all, other than her parents and younger brother, there was no one she had spent more time with or who knew her better than Al Potter, and he was a master at playing to her emotions.  “I’m serious, Rosie.  Think about it.  Zabini wants you to fail, so she gives you one of the most complicated potions she possibly could, while she gives Malfoy, the student she wants to succeed, a simple one.”

“And that helps me how?” Rose interrupted, her hands on her hips.  “She gave him _the Draught of Sleeping Death_.”  She huffed sarcastically.  “I could brew that in my sleep, and so could he.  You know his will be _perfect_.”

“Sure it will, but so what?  Yours will be too.  And when _you_ brew a perfect Polyjuice, compared to his Draught, she’ll have no choice but to admit yours is more impressive, won’t she?”

Rose opened her mouth to make a snide retort but stopped short.  Al was right – _as usual_ , she admitted somewhat begrudgingly.  “Always the voice of reason, aren’t you?” she chuckled, grabbing his arm and proceeding towards her destination once more.

Al laughed as they walked side by side.  “And why you continue to sound so surprised never ceases to amaze me.”

“Just because your dad is Harry Potter, you think you’re so smart, don’t you?”  

Rose elbowed Al playfully, and he nudged her back just as hard.  “Of course, and just because your dad is Ron Weasley, you think you’re so charming, don’t you?”

“Naturally,” she grinned with an exaggerated toss of her hair.  “Would you expect any less from the daughter of a marketing genius and the cleverest witch of her generation?”

Al groaned.  “I think that’s my cue to cut this one short.”  He nodded towards the stairwell leading to the Ravenclaw common room.  “Besides, I promised Ellie I’d meet up with her before dinner.”

Rose quirked an eyebrow and smirked knowingly.  “You’re meeting Ellie before dinner?  _My Ellie_?  Oh, do say ‘hello’ for me, won’t you?”

She giggled as Al’s somewhat tempered version of the Weasley blush crept up his neck.  Feeling somewhat guilty about taking the piss, she reached over and squeezed his hand.  “You know I’m only joking, Al,” she said sincerely.  “I love it that you’re dating my best friend.”

“And here I thought I was your best friend all these years,” he teased, squeezing her hand back.  He looked at her seriously.  “Don’t spend all night in the library, alright?  You need to rest up for the match tomorrow and…well, you need to have a little more fun than spending every Friday evening studying in the library.”

“So you’d rather I spent my time trolling around the common room and making eyes at all the boys like Chloe Finnigan?”

“Hell no,” Al groaned, shaking his head and holding up a hand.  “You’re right.  Forget I said anything.  Have fun in the nice quiet library.”  He patted her shoulder and grinned.  “See you at dinner.”

Rose smiled as she watched him ascend the far staircase before taking the stairs to the Fourth Floor.  She felt very lucky to have Al.  Sure, he was family, but he was also her very best friend, the person she trusted more than anyone else, really, and she never failed to appreciate having such an easy relationship with him.  

For as long as she could remember, Auntie Ginny had laughingly referred to them as ‘two peas in a pod.’  But Rose reckoned that they were bound to be, considering that their October birthdays were only one week apart, and they pretty much grew up together, spending so much time at the Burrow or at Al’s house or at hers.  Even she wasn’t exactly sure why it was, but she and Al never rowed.  They rarely even disagreed.  And they could read each other in ways that no one else truly understood.

So Rose was relieved that Al was fairly distracted by his crush on Ellie Boot, her best female friend, because it kept him from looking too closely and seeing her own mixed up feelings.

Rose entered the library, waved hello to Madame Clarke, and headed to her favorite table in the deserted Runes section at the back, just off of the Restricted Section.  She dropped her book bag onto the table with a slight thud and fell back into her chair with a sigh before pulling out her Transfiguration book along with several others and unrolling the essay that she needed to finish for next Friday’s lesson.  But rather than getting started on the last little bit, she chewed on the end of her quill and twisted an auburn curl idly, glancing absentmindedly at the rope sectioning off the restricted books and allowing herself a few moments to contemplate _him_ and just how she’d got herself into this mess she now found herself embroiled in.

More than once over Christmas holidays, Gran Weasley had remarked to her that she was ‘just the perfect mix’ of her parents, and Rose tended to agree, knowing that it extended beyond her curly auburn hair, brown eyes, and freckles.  She had her mother’s ambition, desire for knowledge, sense of fairness, and compulsiveness, tempered by her father’s wit, strategic abilities, sense of loyalty, and quick temper.  And just like her parents, Rose was competitive and passionate, and she nearly always played by the rules, unless, of course, it was _absolutely_ _necessary_ to bend them.

Scorpius Malfoy had been a thorn in her side since their first day of classes.  She’d noticed him on the Platform, of course, after her dad and Uncle Harry mentioned him, but she hadn’t been too concerned or impressed.  He looked rather bored standing there with his parents, waiting to board the Hogwarts Express, and Rose got the impression that he was none too thrilled with being there.  And later on the train, after she and Al had made fun of the adults and her dad's ridiculous joke about Granddad Weasley and Rose marrying a pureblood, she really hadn’t given _him_ another thought until he laid down the gauntlet in the most unthinkable of ways. 

Her dad had cautioned her, in private naturally, against coming across as a know-it-all by being too overzealous in class.  He encouraged her to be proud of her abilities and to share her knowledge, but not to do so in a snotty manner.  Sheepishly, he told Rose about his not-so-kind first impressions of her mother, admitting that the old “Troll in the Dungeon” bedtime story that he’d told her and Hugo when they were children was actually true:  that he _had_ called her mother a ‘nightmare’ because she truly had been unbearable up to that point, that she _had_ been stuck in the loo with a mountain troll, that he and Uncle Harry really _did_ save her from it, and that afterwards, her mum had _still_ been a know-it-all but she was not nearly so insufferable.

Heeding her dad’s advice, Rose arrived for her first class, a joint Herbology lesson with Slytherin, and she was more than ready to impress Neville – _Professor Longbottom_ – by having read the entire chapter and being able to answer any question he might pose, although she intended to do so without appearing overly-anxious or obnoxious.  And when he asked the first question, she fully expected to be the first to have her hand raised, just as she had been repeatedly in every class at the Muggle school she’d attended.  But _he_ had beat her to it, his hand shooting into the air halfway through the question, his answer perfect when he was called upon, and Rose realized that for the first time in her life, she had competition for that top spot in the class.

Seeing as she was a Weasley _and_ a Granger, she welcomed the challenge.

And yet, somehow over the next five years, she and Malfoy actually became friends _._  Rather good friends, truth be told.  Rose supposed that it was inevitable, really, since they were constantly being thrown together and competing against each other – in classes, on the Quidditch Pitch, as prefects, and during O.W.L.s.  But rather than curb the competition, their friendship fueled it.  If there was a way that he could compete with her, he did.  And while Rose managed to keep the upper hand academically, having the top marks in all of their classes and receiving a class-best eleven Outstandings – which greatly thrilled her mum and dad – Malfoy had topped her in two of their three inter-House Quidditch matches, catching the Snitch right under her nose both times – a fact that her dad and Uncle Harry never failed to mention or bemoan anytime the subject arose, which was all too often.

But there was no questioning that the competition with Scorpius Malfoy was right personal, and Rose Weasley intended to win at all costs.  Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, a different kind of conflict arose, and for the first time in her life, she was less than confident about conquering it.  

Because for the past several weeks, since before they’d left for Christmas hols, her mind and her heart were having very mixed feelings about Scorpius Malfoy.

Her mind was still fighting against him, wanting to best him and bring him to his knees. 

And her heart fought _vigorously_ against him, too, as he now crept into her dreams, and all thoughts of besting him and bringing him to his knees took on very different, much more explicit connotations.

At the oddest and most inconvenient times over the holidays, such as the middle of her dad’s expected dissertation during dinner as to why the Chudley Cannons could not catch a break or when she was supposed to be helping her Gran set the table at the Burrow, Rose found herself wondering how his silky white-blond locks would feel between her fingers and comparing how different his icy blue eyes were from her dad’s and brother’s sapphire blue and recalling how broad his shoulders looked in his Quidditch robes and wishing that she could know for certain if his lips were as soft as they appeared.

By the time they’d returned to school in January, Rose was really beginning to resent every moment she spent thinking about Scorpius in any way other than beating him, and it infuriated her that he was no longer playing fair by invading her thoughts and taking residence in her dreams.  She was supposed to be dreaming of someone else – _bloody hell, **anyone** else_ – besides him.  

Why couldn’t it be Cameron Longbottom, who she had known her whole life and who was Head Boy this year, a fact that her parents mentioned entirely too often?  It was Cameron, after all, who gave Rose her very first, very public, kiss just over ten years ago, on her seventh birthday, following an unfortunate incident when he’d walked in on his parents ‘wrestling’ that he’d proceeded to describe rather loudly to everyone at Rose’s party at the Burrow; an event that Neville _still_ mentioned in order to watch Lavender blush.  Cameron, who had never really expressed any romantic interest in her and who she had always just thought of as a big brother rather than someone to fancy.

Or Luke Goldstein, who captained the D.A. this year and was being heavily recruited by both Uncle Harry and the Unspeakables to join them once he aced his N.E.W.T.s?  It was Luke who took her on her first official date to Hogsmeade three years ago, who tentatively held her hand as they walked from shop to shop, who shyly bought her fudge at Honeydukes and a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, who quickly pecked her on the lips and looked as if he’d die of embarrassment.  Luke, who was her first official boyfriend but who was really far too busy to barely even speak to girls these days.

Or Simon Macmillan, who was a brilliant Beater and always the life of the party?  It was Simon who had encouraged her to try out for the Quidditch team her second year, who she dated much of last year until he caught her off guard coming off of the pitch after she caught the Snitch in the final match against Hufflepuff and proceeded to snog her rather enthusiastically in front of the entire school and, rather unfortunately, in front of their parents, after which Rose was forced to endure her mother’s two-hour ‘refresher’ lecture on human sexuality and the proper way to cast a contraceptive charm while her father grumbled over and over that he’d never trusted ‘that bloody Beater’; an unfortunate move by Simon that rather effectively killed any further interest she had in doing _anything_ remotely associated with snogging him again.  Simon, who nodded and genuinely understood when she explained to him for over an hour exactly why they _really were_ better off as just friends.

No, she had to dream about Scorpius Malfoy, who was oftentimes completely snarky and conceited, but who made her laugh uncontrollably, in ways rivaling her dad and Uncle George. 

Scorpius Malfoy, who purposely picked arguments with her and drove her to the edge of reason just to watch her lose her temper, but who repeatedly encouraged and pushed her to strive for more as they studied together for O.W.L.s.

Scorpius Malfoy, who was ambitious and clever, but who, she discovered only last term, had quietly tutored several first years in Charms when they couldn’t grasp _Wingardium Leviosa_.

Scorpius Malfoy, who always wore the finest robes and flew the finest broom and never lacked for anything he wanted, but who took the time to owl the brand-new Chocolate Frog cards bearing her parents’ likenesses to her over the holidays ‘to make sure she had them’ because he remembered that her mum still had a _thing_ about her eating too many sweets.

Scorpius Malfoy, who was a Slytherin and a pureblood.  Who, even worse, was the son of _Draco Malfoy_ , a man that her parents barely tolerated when they saw each other in public, after which her father never failed to mention how they’d saved ‘that ungrateful spineless bastard’s life twice’ and her mother never failed to wonder how it was that someone as pleasant as Hanna Svensson had married him.  It had crossed Rose’s mind many times over the past several weeks that if she thought her father’s reaction to Simon Macmillan snogging her had been bad, it would pale in comparison to the reaction he was sure to have if she _ever_ dated Scorpius Malfoy.

_Not that he’d ever think of me that way…_  

“I thought I might find you here.  It’s nearly time for dinner.”

Rose sat up quickly and instinctively touched her quill to the parchment before her as she jerked her head around.

_Shit_.  She bit her lip again, attempting to calm her racing heart, as he settled, facing her, into the chair beside her.  _Why does he have to be so damn good-looking?_  

Quickly, she gathered herself and reverted to the Weasley sarcasm that had served her well for seventeen years.  “Impressive powers of deduction you’ve got there, Scorpius, seeing as I’m _never_ here after potions class on Fridays.”

“Well, seeing as it doesn’t take much to impress you, Rose…” he smirked.  “And what do we have here?” he asked, pulling her essay towards him.  “Falling behind, are we?”  He unrolled it completely and sniggered.  “Still lacking a foot or so, I’d say.  I’ve finished mine, of course.”

“Oh, of course you have.  Although I wonder how you find time, what with your busy social schedule.  I’m surprised your girlfriend isn’t here with you, attached at the hip.”  Rose hoped that she only sounded sardonic, that she’d managed to keep a tone of jealousy from creeping into her voice; the last thing she wanted to do was let on to him that a battle was being waged inside her and that he was the cause.

He shot her a bored look.  “If you’re speaking of Lise, you really are behind.  That was over before hols.”

Rose raised an eyebrow questioningly.  “Really?” she attempted to sound exaggeratedly surprised.  “How _awful_ for you.”

“Come off it, Rose,” he admonished. “I know you hate her.”

“I don’t _hate_ her,” Rose protested.  “I just don’t have anything to say to her.  She’s not particularly engaging, is she?”

“I found her to be awfully engaging at times,” he sniggered under his breath.

Rather than respond, Rose looked down at her essay and bit her lip yet again as she began writing.  Scorpius had spent nearly all of last term attached at the lips to Lise Dubois, and although Rose found her to be boring and not very bright, she had to admit that Lise was beautiful, with her dark hair and tanned skin, and the two of them had made quite an impressive-looking couple.  _Well_ , she thought, _they looked good when you could actually see anything other than the two of them wriggling around like eels._   

Really, Lise was simply another of the fantastically good-looking yet pathetically dim-witted girls that had managed to date him, following in the footsteps of Simone Corner and Judith Nott, who were gorgeous to look at but hadn’t necessarily seemed all that interested in carrying on any sort of _verbal_ conversation with him.

“Not to worry.  I’m sure there will be another fangirl step up before you know it,” Rose retorted finally, as she began her conclusion, summarizing the difficulties associated with human transfiguration into animals, and recalling with a small amount of amusement that her dad still sometimes referred to Scorpius’s dad as ‘the amazing bouncing ferret.’

“Be that as it may, I think I’m finished with fangirls for a while.”  His voice carried just a hint of laughter behind his words, just enough to tease.  “Too much trouble.”

Without looking up from her essay, she remarked, “Yes, I suppose even you can take a lack of substance for only so long.”

“Touché.  Although, I could say the same about you.”

“What are you on about?” she asked, looking over at him, her irritation evident.  “I never –” 

“And that’s the problem – ‘you never.’  I say it’s high time you stop playing hard to get and go out with me.”

Rose bit back a heavy sigh but was unable to prevent an exaggerated eye-rolling.  _He is such a bloody tease._   “However could a girl say ‘no’ to such an offer?  You’re ever the charmer, Scorpius.”  She shook her head and returned to the essay, but she was finding it hard to concentrate, his words cutting through her. 

_If only he’d meant it_.  If she thought even for a moment that he was seriously asking her out, she would have said ‘yes.’  But she knew the type of girl Scorpius Malfoy went out with, and it didn’t include intelligent Gryffindors, especially those with the surname Weasley.

She dotted her ‘i’s a little roughly as she finished, rolling the parchment, and watching as Scorpius grabbed it from her hand and held it above his head, the faintest grin grazing his lips.  “What’s this worth to you?” 

Rose didn’t answer; she turned toward him and held out her hand, fixing him with her ‘I mean business’ glare, the one that caused her dad to wince and repeatedly mention to her mum that it was too much like hers.  Unfortunately, the look that usually got Rose what she wanted didn’t phase Scorpius in the least.

“Oh, come now, Rose.  Is that the best you’ve got?” he laughed.  “Even _my_ mother can do better than that.”

She found this jab a bit insulting, and she really did not appreciate his tone.  From what she knew of Hanna Malfoy, a tall, slender, Scandinavian witch from Durmstrang who now worked with Auntie Fleur at Gringotts, Rose very much doubted that she had so much as even reprimanded her son once in his life, much less looked crossly at him.  

“I am _really_ not in the mood for this tonight,” she huffed.  “I want you to give it to me now, Scorpius.”  She scooted forward in her seat, leaned in, and reached for her parchment, unwittingly insinuating her legs between his legs, her chest almost flush against his chest.

Had her senses not been focused so intently upon him, she might have missed his slight intake of breath as their thighs brushed, and she would have missed the flash of _something_ in his eyes.  But she would have been blind not to notice his gaze fall to her lips before returning to hers, his eyes boring into hers intently.  

Rose felt as if she’d been hit by a bolt of lightening when her fingers brushed against his as he lowered his arm and allowed her to take the essay from him.  His eyes drifted back to her lips then lower.  Hers followed, and she was horrified to find that her skirt had ridden up, exposing a great deal more leg than was proper.

“Uh…” she muttered, simultaneously scooting back in her chair and tugging the hem of her skirt down.  Her cheeks were burning, and she knew that her flush was due only in small part to embarrassment and irritation, that it was due in larger part to her increasing _frustration_.  She closed her eyes.  “I –”

She stopped abruptly when his hand came to rest on her knee.  “What did you say before?” he whispered.  “About wanting me to give it to you now?”  His breath was hot against her ear, and another jolt ran through her as he threw her own words back at her in such a provocative manner.  She lifted her eyes to find his face mere inches from hers.  “Haven’t you wondered what it would be like?”  His voice, no longer a whisper, was still low and deliberate.  “Don’t you think that maybe all this contention between us –” she watched his index finger, hypnotized, as it slowly brushed a curl from her shoulder, “is really something else?”

Rose was acutely aware of the fingers caressing her knee ever so slightly as well as those now lightly brushing the curls from her neck.  Her breath caught when she felt his lips graze against her jaw, just below her ear.  He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze once more, the tips of their noses not quite touching.  “Stop playing hard to get and go out with me,” he repeated, his voice rich with sincerity.

Rose wasn’t sure if he met her halfway, but he’d barely finished what he was saying when her lips crushed against his.  Her essay floated to the ground as her arms slid around his neck.

The few kisses she’d shared with Luke Goldstein were short, sweet, and simple.  The snogs she’d participated in with Simon Macmillan were fun, a few first fumblings with a boy that she had liked a lot once upon a time.

But none of those kisses prepared her in the least for this kiss with Scorpius.  For his one hand to slide into her hair and clutch the back of her head, and his other to slide up the side of her thigh to her hip before settling on her waist, both hands pulling her body closer into his.  For his lips to open slightly as they slid across hers, allowing him to suck her lower lip between his and to nip at her upper lip.  For his groan that she felt more than heard as her tongue swept into his mouth, leading him to shift his head just so, allowing him better access to return the favor.

It was so much better than she had imagined it would be.  Never before had a snog caused this reaction in Rose’s body.  Never before had she felt such intense sensations.  He was intoxicating, and she was quite sure that she couldn’t kiss him enough to ever quench the desire running through her.

Wanting to get him closer, her hands clutched his face, and she pressed herself forward to the edge of her chair, settling between his legs as close as she could without actually moving into his lap.  The movement forced her knees together even tighter, which served the dual purpose of allowing her calves to rest against his and offering her a moment of temporary relief against the blinding heat that was converging between her thighs.

His mouth broke from hers almost forcibly, and he placed open-mouthed kisses up her jaw.  Rose tilted her head to give him better access, and he accepted her invitation by sucking hard at the spot just below her ear.  She could hear his ragged breathing as his tongue moved along the edge of her ear before he caught her earlobe between his teeth.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he confessed against her neck.  “It’s been torture studying with you these past few months and not telling you how much I fancy you.”  His lips grazed against hers.  “Hoping that I was right in thinking you fancied me, too,” he whispered before thoroughly kissing her again.

Rose was sure that her heart was going to burst out of her chest at any moment.  The blood was pounding in her ears, and she was having trouble catching her breath.  Between the achingly wonderful kisses and her own physical reaction to them, she wasn’t entirely sure that she had heard his declaration correctly.

_He said fancies me!_ she thought gleefully.  _I can’t wait to tell Ellie and Al…Oh!  Bloody fucking hell – what do I tell Al?  And not just Al, but the rest of the family?  Oh god, and my parents – what am I going to tell my parents?  Shit – I can only imagine what Dad will say._  

Rose reluctantly tore her mouth from his and held his face tightly, resting their foreheads against each other.  They were both breathing heavily, and he smiled.  “That was bloody incredible.”

“Yes,” she replied breathlessly.  “Definitely.”  She smiled sadly, closing her eyes.  “But what does this…are you sure about this?  With me?  You know we have to be sure.”

She felt him disentangle his hand from her hair as he backed away, sitting up straight in his chair.  Her hands fell to his forearms, and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her oddly.

“What the hell?  Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“I did, but what do we tell –”

His kiss cut her off, but she was taken aback that it was colder somehow, that his lips felt harsh against hers.  She pulled away before he could deepen it, crossing her arms across her chest and quirking an eyebrow at him questioningly.  He was scowling.

“What’s wrong?  Why are you…?  Are you _angry_?” she asked, bewildered at his sudden change.

“Worried, are you?” he replied derisively.  “Afraid that one of your Gryffindor mates might discover your dark secret?  Or worse, that one of your bloody cousins might learn that you snogged a Slytherin?  Maybe you’re concerned that mummy and daddy will find out you fancy a Malfoy?”

Rose felt each and every word cut through her like a knife, and it was a chore fighting back the angry tears that were threatening.  “Well, if that’s what you think of me…”  Unable to continue without completely losing her composure, she shoved hard against his chest, causing her chair to screech across the floor.  _What a fucking arse.  I almost believed he was different…_ _How could I be so foolish?_  She stood and began throwing her books back into her bag. _And why the fuck did I let him kiss me?_  

She needed to get away from him and forget this night ever happened; regroup and refocus before she had to face him in tomorrow’s match and during rounds on Sunday night.

She refused to look at him as she shoved the last book inside, threw the bag over her shoulder, and reached out for her wand.  His hand grabbed her wrist just as her fingers grazed it.

“Rose.  I’m sorry.  Please.” 

His voice was rich with emotion.  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes; she couldn’t look at him just yet, but she would hear what he had to say.  And she did not wrestle her arm away, although she tried to ignore the feel of his fingers gently moving over her wrist.

“That wasn’t fair, and I never should have said it,” he continued, his voice low and pleading.  “And that’s not what I think of you.”

Rose ventured a glance at him.  He was staring at his hand, still holding firm around her wrist, his face awash with regret.  “Then why would you say it?” she asked sadly, gazing at their ‘joined’ hands for a moment before focusing on his face.

Scorpius shook his head.  “I really don’t know.”  He sighed deeply and raised his eyes to meet hers.  “I know you realize what happens if we do this.  What we’re opening ourselves up to if we start dating.  Are you ready to admit to your family that you fancy me?  To tell them that you’re going out with me?”

Rose considered his words carefully and a second wave of anxiety swept over her at the thought of how her family might react.  

She knew Al would be okay with it once he made sure that it was really something she wanted.  She expected that James, Fred, and Hugo would take the piss something fierce, but they wouldn’t care, really, one way or the other as long as he was nice to her.  And she figured that Lily would be almost annoyingly giggly and giddy.  She anticipated that she’d probably have to listen to some disparaging remarks about Scorpius’s father from her aunts and uncles, and that her grandparents would make subtle comments as well, although not quite to the same degree.  And she had no doubt that Mum would want to discuss, _ad nauseum_ , the pros and cons of being in a relationship, and being in a relationship with someone who was raised so differently from herself, and that she really shouldn’t let the relationship progress too far but did she remember the contraceptive charms just in case.  

As for Dad…Rose knew his reaction would be…No, it was best not to think about what his reaction would be just yet. 

“Yes,” she replied softly, finally wrenching her arm away from his grasp, only to tentatively reach up and brush a lock of hair from his forehead.  “But are you?  Maybe it’s not worth it to you.”

Rose gasped softly as Scorpius took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss against her palm.  “It’s worth it.”  He stood and faced her, still clutching her hand.  “ _You’re_ worth it.”

“As are you,” she whispered.

He closed the distance between them to place a gentle chaste kiss against her lips, and Rose felt him smile.  

“So, it’s good with you, then?” he asked as he pushed their chairs under the table.  “Us being together?”

“Definitely,” she grinned, pocketing her wand and shifting her bag to the other shoulder.

He flung an arm loosely around her shoulder.  “Does that mean I can snog you after I beat you at Quidditch?”

She laughed and elbowed him playfully.  “Not in the middle of the pitch.  And you will not beat me at Quidditch tomorrow.”  Rose offered a quick wave and ‘good night’ to Madame Clarke, attempting not to notice the look of delighted surprise on the librarian’s face as Scorpius held the door open for her and trying not to grin like an idiot when he took her book bag from her and slung it over his shoulder, his arm returning to its former resting place across her shoulders.

“So are you telling me that you don’t fancy another two hour lecture on the precise way to cast a proper contraceptive charm?” he teased as they made their way down to the Great Hall, ignoring the curious looks from the students that passed by them.

She shook her head, wondering why in the world she ever shared that information in the first place.  “Um…no,” she groaned, adding softly, “I expect that I’ll be facing a lecture on a slightly different subject soon enough.”

“Yeah, I suppose you will.”  He squeezed her shoulder and pulled her closer into him.  “I wish things were different.”

“Me, too,” she agreed.  “But I can take it.  I’ve pretty much learned how to tune Mum out when she really gets going.”

He chuckled.  “You’ll have to teach me so I can do that with my father.”

“It’s a deal.”

They stopped at the top of the marble staircase, and Rose felt Scorpius stiffen, his arm dropping behind her back and to his side.  She glanced down and saw several groups, students from their respective Houses, including one made up almost entirely of Weasleys and Potters.  Without thinking on it, Rose reached over and took his hand.  Scorpius’s eyes met hers.

“Come on.  It’s now or never,” she whispered with a smile, and they descended the staircase and proceeded into the Great Hall, hand in hand, amid the whispers and giggles and astonished stares.

And Rose knew that this part was easy, and facing her parents would be more complicated, but then again, who was she to run away from a challenge. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter 2 **

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

The Great Hall was buzzing with activity, and Rose felt several sets of eyes upon them as she and Scorpius entered, holding hands.  But as they stood near the back wall, just beyond the Ravenclaw table, she paid them no real attention, just as she hadn’t said anything at all when they walked past the small contingent of Weasleys and Potters congregating just outside the doors, save directing a special ‘I’ll tell you everything’ look at Al, who she noticed looked a bit dumbstruck.  

Everyone could whisper and speculate all they wanted as far as Rose was concerned.  She was elated with this unexpected turn of events.  No, there was no question in her mind about it; she _wanted_ to be with Scorpius Malfoy, and from the moment she said ‘yes’ to him, she had determined that it was going to be all or nothing, and she wouldn’t worry about anything her brother, her cousins, or anyone else at Hogwarts had to say about it.

Scorpius smiled down at her and gave her hand a small squeeze, but before he could reply, a loud voice sounded behind them.

“Getting a bit cozy with my Seeker, aren’t you, Malfoy?”

James’s arm slid over Rose’s shoulder on the one side, and she felt Scorpius’s arm stiffen at her other side.  A scowl played across her cousin’s face, and for a moment, her heart raced as her resolve to confront this situation head-on strengthened.  But she was now slightly more concerned than before; James and Scorpius were fairly good friends in their own right, aside from the harmless inter-House rivalries they all shared, and out of the male members of her family, she had anticipated that James would go easiest on them.

He looked down at their joined hands then back up at Rose.  “And you…you’re fraternizing with the enemy the night before our match.”  His scowl gave way to a smirk.  “Switching allegiances on me, are you?”

A wave of relief rushed through her as she rolled her eyes and giggled.  “Oh dear.  It seems you’ve discovered my evil plan.”

Scorpius chuckled as he let go of her hand and pompously slung his arm across her shoulders, knocking James’s arm away.  “Sorry, Potter, but Rose wants to play for the _winning_ team this time.”

James fixed him with an equally smug glare.  “Not bloody likely with _McLaggen_ as your Keeper. I’ll have scored on him a dozen times before he even realizes his arse is in the air.”

“He just makes it easier for me to sweep in and save the day, _again_ ,” Scorpius chuckled.  “I’ve made it my life’s greatest ambition mission to make you look like an idiot on a broomstick, Potter.  And you know how vigorously we Slytherins pursue our ambitions.”

“Oh, Merlin, that’s enough,” Rose groaned before James could retort.  “I’m drowning in testosterone here.”   

“Whatever you say, brat,” James teased, rubbing the top of her head annoyingly.  “Gotta run now anyway, kiddies,” he laughed, nodding towards his girlfriend, Diana Pucey, at the Ravenclaw table.  He focused his attention once more on Scorpius, poking his chest and warning, “We’ll settle this on the pitch, Malfoy,” before walking away.

“I plan on making it three in a row, Potter,” Scorpius called to his retreating back, and without even a backwards glance, James gave the two finger salute.  Scorpius sniggered and shook his head in mock disbelief.  “What an arrogant arse.”  

Rose chortled sarcastically and swatted his chest.  “Oh, and you’re one to talk.”

“True,” he conceded with a smirk, “but at least I admit it.  Potter doesn’t even realize he is.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes.  “You are both such _boys_.”  

“And you are such a girl.”  Scorpius leaned in, his arm still slung loosely around her shoulders, and began fiddling with a stray curl.  Rose blushed, not only from the tone of his voice so close to her ear and the implications of his statement, but also from the feel of his side pressed so closely against hers and his fingers in her hair.  “Why don’t we get together later and compare notes on which of us has the more interesting dinner conversation?”

_Oh god, how I want to_ , she thought.  More than anything she wanted to forget about everything else and pick up where they’d left off upstairs in the library.  But…

“As tempting as that sounds, I don’t think it’s such a good idea considering our prior engagement tomorrow morning.”  She disentangled herself from his arm, worried that if she didn’t, she was likely to break her own rules about public displays of snogging.  “I have a Quidditch match to win.”  

“You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you, Weasley?” Scorpius drawled.  “Don’t think that just because you’re my girlfriend, I’ll go easy on you.”

_Girlfriend_?  Rose’s heart leapt into her throat, and she resisted the urge to both squeal and throw her arms around him and snog him senseless.

“Don’t think that just because I’m your girlfriend, I’d let you.”  Rose flashed him a deceptively sweet smile.  “And be prepared, because, believe me, I have no intention of allowing you to fulfill your life’s ambition to make my cousin look like an idiot on a broomstick.  I fully intend to kick your arrogant arse tomorrow.”

“We’ll see,” he teased, his fingers brushing lightly against hers.  “What about tomorrow, then?  Meet up with me after the match?” he asked softly, his eyes burning with that same _something_ that she had noticed earlier in the library.

He licked his lips, and Rose gulped as the air around her suddenly felt heavy.  Shivers ran up her spine from his touch, and she was filled with anticipation at the prospect of feeling those lips against hers once more.  “Definitely,” she answered somewhat breathlessly.

“Until tomorrow.”  Rose smiled at him, and he winked before stepping back.  Just as she had turned, he called after her, loud enough for the end of the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables to hear.  “Best to get a good night’s rest, Weasley.  You’ll need it.”

She fought the urge to respond as James had and instead chose to ignore him, even as her body reacted to the sound of his laughter behind her and the dual meaning of his words.  She made her way to the Gryffindor table, slipped into her seat next to Al, and demurely took a sip of pumpkin juice.

“And how was the library?”  Al looked at her, his eyebrow quirked, a questioning look on his face.  

Rose felt a blush rising over her cheeks.  “It was good,” she replied with a tentative smile.  “I got a lot accomplished.”

“Obviously,” he replied, a hint of amused bewilderment in his voice.  His green eyes bored into hers, and his lips curved into a half-smile as he nudged her with his elbow.  “Need I ask exactly _what_ you accomplished?”

Her blush deepened and she offered him a dreamy grin.  “Don’t tease, Al.  Didn’t you tell me I needed to have a little more fun than just studying?”

“And you thought hanging around with Scorpius Malfoy was the best solution?”

Rose shrugged playfully.  “Perhaps.  He is awfully –” she started, only to be interrupted by a loud “Well?” from across the table.

_Ah, here it comes_ , she thought.  _The arrival of the legion of Weasley and Potter men who must protect my honor and give me hell._

“Yes?” Rose asked innocently.

Predictably, Hugo sat directly across from her, flanked on each side by Fred and James, an expectant look on his face.  “What gives?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”  She took another sip of her juice, smiling behind her glass.  If he was going to be so bloody nosy, she was going to make him work for it.  Besides, she loved winding him up.

“Don’t play stupid, Rose.  What was that with you and Malfoy?”

“You’re a big boy, Hugo.  I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Hugo’s eyes flashed, his cheeks flushed, and he huffed with frustration.  She knew from experience that he was about to lose his temper, and she felt a somewhat perverse feeling of satisfaction for being able to get under his skin so easily.

Fred elbowed him, an amused smile on his face.  “I reckon it’s a bit like what you’ve been up to in the greenhouse with Mary Thomas, mate.”

Fred guffawed, James snorted loudly, Al choked on his drink, and Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud as Hugo turned a very bright shade of Weasley red.  “ _Shut it_ , you wanker,” he hissed, punching Fred in the arm, his eyes shifting down the table to where the pretty fifth year was sitting among friends and thankfully hadn’t heard them.

Truly feeling sorry for her little brother, Rose decided to intervene.  “Cut it out, you two,” she admonished, giving both of them an ‘I mean business’ look.  “She might hear you and think you’re being mean.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Fred responded with a salute.  “I’ll leave the rest of this interrogation to you lot,” he said as he grabbed his goblet and hopped up, taking a seat next to Cameron Longbottom a few seats down.

Hugo continued to glare at her, and she sighed dramatically.  “Oh, if you _must_ know, I’ve started going out with him.  Happy, now?”

“Since when?” he asked incredulously.  “Last I heard he was going out with that seventh year from Hufflepuff.”

“Nope.  He ditched her before they left for hols,” James offered.  “Told Rory Zabini that he fancied someone else, but he didn’t say who.”  He smirked at Rose.  “I reckon we know who it was now.”

“Can you blame him for not telling you?” Rose retorted.  “As if he would want to suffer through this torture.  You’re all such bloody pains in the arse.”

James chortled.  “Maybe so, but just so long as _you_ remember that I expect you to kick _his_ bloody arse tomorrow,” he said pointedly before sliding down the bench and joining Fred and Cameron in their heated debate as to which of the Holyhead Harpies’ new Chasers was more shaggable.

“He dumped her?” Hugo scowled, turning back to Rose.  “He’d better not treat you like that.  Maybe I need to have a talk with him –”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Hugo!  I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” she huffed, her exasperation evident.  She had long ago grown quite tired of her brother’s bravado and his mistaken belief, fostered by their dad’s instructions to ‘keep an eye’ on her, that Rose was _his_ responsibility.  Whereas she thought it was sweet when he first started school in her third year, as they grew older, she resented not only his, but also the rest of her family’s continual interference in her life more and more. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Hugo conceded before grinning wildly.  “I don’t suppose you’ve mentioned this to Mum and Dad yet?”

Rose rolled her eyes.  “Seeing as he only asked me out about an hour ago, the answer would be no.”

“You _do_ realize Dad is going to go spare, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” she sighed again, “I’m sure he might not be too thrilled –”

Hugo laughed aloud.  “Might not be too thrilled?  You’re joking, right?  You know how much he hates the Malfoys.  I predict a blowup of monumental proportions.  Or much worse if he brings Uncle Harry and Granddad into it.”  He shook his head.  “Sorry, but I’m afraid Mum won’t even be able to talk you out of this one, Sis.  I just hope I’m not around to witness it; although after he kills you, can I have your room?”

“Sod off, Hugo,” Al interjected as Rose grumbled, “Oh, you –” and reached across the table to smack him.  Wisely, Hugo scooted out of her reach with a taunting wave before meandering over to sit on the other side of Mary Thomas.

“God, he’s so damned insufferable,” Rose fumed.  “You are _so_ lucky not to have ameddlesome little brother.”

Al snorted.  “No, instead I have _a meddlesome little sister_ , who, I might remind you, has a tremendously big mouth.”  He motioned towards the Hufflepuff table where Lily was in the middle of a group of giggling fourth years.  “You might want to ward her off from spilling the news to Mum before you’ve had a chance to break the news yourself.  You know how she tells her bloody _everything_ that goes on with any of us.”

Rose took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “Yeah, you’re right.”  Lily had developed quite a reputation among her cousins for snitching about them to her mother, who in turn could hardly resist the opportunity to then pass the information along to their respective parents.  The most recent victim was Uncle Percy’s son, Paul, who got caught last year doing a bit more than snogging with Olivia Wood in the Potions classroom.  Lily had owled Auntie Ginny the next morning, and by that following afternoon, the entire family knew every sordid detail.  Rose cringed at the thought of her parents finding out about _any_ boyfriend of hers from Auntie Ginny, especially this one.

“Will you talk to her for me?” Rose asked Al, her eyes still trained on the Hufflepuff table.  “She listens to you far better than any of the rest of us.”

Al sighed.  “Yeah, all right.”  He shook his head.  “But you know she’ll not speak to either of us for days since we’re depriving her the chance to offer right juicy ammunition against Uncle Ron to Mum.”

Their eyes met, and they both chuckled.  “Whatever it takes,” Rose replied.  “The _last_ thing I need is for Mum and Dad to find out about this from Auntie Ginny.  Nothing against your mum, of course, but you _know_ how she and Dad are.”  Rose shook her head.  Her own sibling rivalry with Hugo had nothing on that shared between her dad and his sister.

“When are you planning to tell them?” Al asked.  “So I can tell Lily how long she has to keep her mouth shut.”

“It’s a bit ridiculous, but knowing how he’s likely to react, I don’t particularly want to do it in an owl, so I guess when we go home for Easter,” Rose reasoned.  “But in the meantime, I’m not going to worry on it.  Please just emphasize to her that I’m serious about her keeping quiet until then.”

“Sure thing.  But since she hasn’t run over here to find out every last detail, I don’t think she knows anything yet, so I’ll catch up with her after dinner.”  Al glanced at his sister then back at Rose.  “So, you and Scorpius Malfoy?  Really?”  He shook his head when she nodded.  “He’s a decent enough bloke, I suppose, but I have to tell you, I really didn’t see this one coming, especially on your end.  And Ellie’ll be sorry she decided to stop by the Hospital Wing on her way down.”     

Rose smiled tiredly and laid her hand atop his forearm.  “This thing with Scorpius – it’s been building up for a while now and sort of just _happened_.  I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before, but I wasn’t sure about what was going on in my head, and I really didn’t think he thought of me as anything more than a friend.”  She took a deep breath.  “But for now, I’m tired of talking about it and thinking about it – I have Quidditch tomorrow, and I’m more concerned about finishing my dinner in peace and getting a good night’s sleep.”  She looked at Al pleadingly.  “Is that okay?  Can we please finish this another time?”

Al cupped his hand around hers.  “Just tell me this – are you happy about it, Rosie?  Is this really what you want?”

“It is.”  

She nodded, and he squeezed her hand tightly.  “It’s all good then,” he smiled with a nod of his own.  And as they finished dinner in a comfortable silence, she was thankful Al understood that sometimes there was no further need for words.

**** 

“I expect a good, clean match,” Professor Quigley warned, tossing the Quaffle into the air.  Rose kicked off the ground and felt that familiar rush as she quickly flew up into the air, her eyes peeled for the Snitch.  She knew it would be difficult to see today with the snow falling, but she was determined; with her added incentive, she was not about to let victory slip through her fingers this time.  She was very well aware of _his_ position across the pitch, and she went a little higher in order to have a better overall view.

James hadn’t been joking about taking this match seriously.  Right away, he and the other Gryffindor chasers, Sylvie Rexford, and Benjy Arning, began working in unison to score goal after goal against Doyle McLaggen.  _He really is a worthless Keeper_ , Rose noted with amusement, taking great pleasure in watching one of the most conceited boys in the seventh year, who constantly bragged and carried on like he was God’s gift to witches and Quidditch, be taken down a few notches.  And James and the rest of her team seemed happy to oblige.  After barely five minutes in, Gryffindor had already scored sixty points.  Unfortunately, Slytherin was only ten points behind; Rose begrudgingly admitted that the Slytherin Chasers were all really _on_ as well, and poor Fred was having a rough go of it as Keeper today, apparently unable to stop any of them from scoring.

For her part, she searched all around, weaving in and out of the other players, but as of yet, there was no sign of the Golden Snitch.

Rose absolutely loved Quidditch.  She loved the smell of the pitch and the feel of the wood between her fingers as she gripped her broomstick.  She loved the sounds of her teammates barking directions and the fans screaming.  She loved the feeling of the wind on her face and in her hair, the exhilaration she experienced as she sped around the pitch or dove to catch the Snitch.  She loved the camaraderie it fostered, that each team member had a part to play, and when they all played in sync; they could easily outmatch any other team.  She loved the competition it created and the strategy involved.  And she loved being a Seeker, thriving on the one-on-one battle for the Snitch, loved that it was she who plotted and searched and finally finished the match, loved that feeling of complete satisfaction when she caught it.

She loved that some of her earliest, and best, memories were from going to Cannons games with her dad and listening to the Quidditch World Cup on the wireless with her granddad.  And from growing up watching and then, per the family tradition, beginning at age eight, participating in the family matches at the Burrow.  And from the many hours she and Al, and sometimes James or Lily, had spent sifting through Auntie Ginny’s old uniform and equipment and souvenirs from her playing days with the Harpies.  And from the rainy days when her mum and Auntie Ginny would tell them all stories about when her dad, their uncles, and their aunts played for Gryffindor while at Hogwarts or of the Quidditch World Cup they went to see as kids.  And from teasing her dad with her own personal composition and stunning renditions of ‘Weasley _Was_ the King.’

And as she grew older, she and her girlfriends agreed that they loved _watching_ Quidditch; loved the way the boys looked riding their broomsticks, their robes billowing behind them as they flew, the look of their hard thighs and taut chests and strong arms exposed, their hair wet from sweat, the weather, or a combination of the two.  The conversations that watching Quidditch solicited and the dreams it induced.  Even now, as she dipped down a bit and scanned the pitch for the Snitch, her eyes drifted to her adversary, and a deep-seeded heat ran through her.

_Holy cricket, he’s good-looking_ , she thought as she watched him weave in and out of the Slytherin players.  His hair was slick and messy from the snow, and his cheeks were flushed red from the cold and exertion.  And he was looking at her as well, a smile playing across his lips.  Rose grinned back, then looked away, focusing once again on the task at hand – finding that bloody Snitch and winning their wager.

She still couldn’t believe the recent turn of events that had converted her friendship with Scorpius into something more, whatever that was.  But even more surprising was his reaction to it.  She’d never imagined that someone like him would be so openly _hers_.  And yet, there he was, seeking her out after breakfast and again before the match on the pretense of wishing her luck.  At the time, Rose had wondered if it was all a pre-game ploy, an attempt to distract her by snogging her.  So when all he’d done was actually wish her luck, pulled her into his arms, and _hugged_ her, she was astonished and on some level that she was ashamed to admit, deeply disappointed.  

“Do you still think you can beat me today?” he teased, his arms still around her, his voice hot in her ear.

“Of course,” she replied into the crook of his neck, her lips brushing just barely against his skin.  A thrill ran through her when she felt him shudder slightly before he pulled back and leaned against the wall, one hand remaining on her waist as he ran the other through his hair.  Her hands drifted from around his neck to his chest.

“Care to make a friendly wager?  Winner takes all.”

Rose paused for a moment, this time to collect her breath, wondering how it was that he could affect her so much just with his words and the timbre of his voice.  “Maybe.  It all depends on the wager.”

Scorpius chuckled and Rose felt it in his chest even as she heard it.  “I’ve thought about this long and hard, and can only think of one thing – when _I_ win the match for Slytherin, I get to snog you senseless.”

“And how about when I catch the Snitch right under your nose and Gryffindor wins?” Rose managed, glancing down at her feet and wishing that she was still wrapped in his arms with her face was buried against his neck so that he couldn’t see the damned Weasley blush that had crept up her neck and cheeks.  

“ _If_ you were to somehow find a way to actually beat me, and that’s not bloody likely, you’d get to snog me senseless.”

Rose giggled.  “So, it’s a win-win situation, then?”

“Absolutely.”  Their eyes locked; before she knew it, their faces were entirely too close to just look at each other, for their lips _not_ to meet.  And then they were, as she instinctively pressed her lips against his.  It wasn’t a snog by any stretch of the imagination, but it still sent a rush through her nevertheless.  Before either of them could take it any farther, she pulled away completely out of his arms.

“Come on, then,” she smiled, motioning for the doorway leading out onto the lawn.  “I have a bet to win.” 

They’d then joined up with their respective teams and parted ways, the promise of ‘tonight’ between them.  And honestly, Rose was really looking forward to meeting up with him and picking up where they’d left off.

She caught a glint of gold out of the corner of her eye and turned to see the Snitch fly by her ear and towards the hoops below her.  A quick glance up confirmed that Scorpius had seen it as well and was now barreling towards it.  

“Bugger!” she exclaimed aloud, and without thinking, Rose dove quickly, positioning herself on the broom and pulling _just so_ like Uncle Harry and Uncle Charlie had coached her.  She knew that she had to really concentrate and get the most out of her Nimbus in order to beat Scorpius on his Firebolt; while he lacked her finesse and flexibility, he was quite skilled maneuvering at high speeds and he could force nearly unheard of velocities from his broomstick.

“Faster,” she urged under her breath, her vision vacillating between the Snitch and Scorpius, who was gaining speed and would reach it about the same time she would.  The Snitch fluttered and changed course, rising suddenly between them before flying back the way it came.  Thanks to her agility, Rose easily flipped upside down and around and took off after it, with Scorpius in hot pursuit.  Holding on tightly with her thighs and locking her ankles for added support, she skated her hands forward until they were near the end of the handle and she was practically laying atop the broomstick to increase her speed.  

She could feel him inching up behind and then beside her, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the Snitch.  _I am **going** to win this_ , she thought.  _I refuse not to_.  Concentrating with all her might, she let go with her right hand and slid around until she was hanging on the underside of the broom.  She reached out just as Scorpius flew over her, and straining, she grasped a wing between her fingers and caught it, snatching it just out of his outstretched hand.  In the split second before she hauled herself back atop her broomstick, their eyes met, and she saw that flash of _something_ again play across his face before she sat astride the broom once more, blood pounding in her ears and her heart racing, everything a blur.  

She was so overcome with adrenaline and exhilaration that Rose barely heard Professor Quigley blow the whistle seconds later, signaling that the match was over.  It was only then that she heard the cheers and groans and applause and calls from the stands and her teammates around her, and she took a deep breath and descended to the ground, barely registering that it was time to leave the air and to find her feet once again.

She saw Scorpius and his teammates a few meters away, disappointment evident on their faces.  But she had no time to think because the minute she touched down, she felt herself being lifted and crushed against a hard, wet someone.

“Oh my god, Rose!  That was so bloody brilliant – a ‘Charlie-esque’ move if I ever saw one!”  James exclaimed as he spun her around.  

“Are you joking?” Fred shouted.  “That move puts anything Uncle Charlie had to shame.  Damn, Rose, whoever knew you had moves like that!”

Rose laughed uneasily; she was very quickly becoming light-headed and dizzy.  “Put me down, James.  I’m going to be ill if you keep twirling me around.”

James set her down, and she was surrounded by the rest of her team along with several students who’d made their way onto the pitch, Hugo, Al, and Ellie among them, where for the next few minutes, Rose was patted and hugged and congratulated.  But all the while, it felt strange.  She was euphoric, naturally, at the win, but she was overwhelmed by the way in which they’d won.  Had she really hung upside down from her broom to catch the Snitch?  At the time she wasn’t thinking, she was just reacting, but now she couldn’t get the ‘what ifs’ out of her head.  What if something had gone wrong?  What if she’d fallen?  What if – 

“Right, Rose?”

She snapped to attention and smiled at Ellie.  “I’m sorry.  What was that?”

Ellie laughed.  “I told Al that I was sure you were ready for a shower.”

“Oh yes,” Rose agreed emphatically. “A nice hot shower sounds heavenly right now.”  She glanced around, hoping to appear nonchalant.  She had hoped he’d come congratulate her, but he was nowhere in sight.

Al looked at her knowingly and winked.  He leaned forward and hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, “They’re all in the changing room.  I saw him leave with the rest of his team.”  Pulling away, he smiled.  “Congratulations again, Rosie.  That was some spectacular catch.  Too bad our dads weren’t here to see it.”

Rose winced.  “Actually, thinking on it now, I’m glad my dad wasn’t here to see it.  I’m not sure he would’ve been too keen on watching me dangle like that.”

“Maybe,” Al agreed, “but you have to admit that _my_ dad would’ve loved it.”

**** 

The rest of the day was somewhat of a blur.  After shedding her wet robes in the changing room and drudging back to the castle, Rose enjoyed a long, very hot, very steamy shower.  She ate lunch with Al and Ellie, and they all reveled in the Quidditch win.  She even managed to find a few minutes to send an owl to her parents, gushing about the win but leaving out the gory details along with anything else that could have raised suspicions.

But she didn’t see Scorpius all afternoon, and by the time she went down for dinner, she was really beginning to think that perhaps he was more upset about the match than she’d anticipated he would be.  He’d never been what she would call a ‘sore loser,’ but he was not particularly gracious about it either.  And the last time she’d bested him on the Quidditch pitch, back in third year, he hadn’t spoken to her for at least two days, having come around only because he wanted to borrow her notes for Arithmancy.   

She was going to be more than a little irritated if he was sulking or actively trying to avoid her.  _He_ had been the one to approach her first.  _He_ had asked her to go out with him.  _He_ had wanted to see her tonight.  _He_ had thought of that silly wager.  _He_ had got her hopes up.  _He_ had made her believe …

But _she_ had kissed him, Rose realized.  Nearly every time their lips had touched, _she_ had been the one who initiated it.  

Just as she was about to take the stairs down, she heard what sounded like an argument, and seeing as she was a prefect after all, she turned back to investigate.   Turning the corner, she opened her mouth to speak but stopped short at the sight of them.

Scorpius was standing near the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and an impatient, angry look on his face, as James stood directly in front of him, his finger pointed in Scorpius’s face.  “Keep that in mind, Malfoy, and we’ll be fine.  But I won’t sit by and watch you pull that shit or listen to any more filthy comments –”

“That wasn’t me!” Scorpius fumed.  “ _I_ didn’t say that… _I_ wouldn’t do that…And you should know better, Potter.”

“Just see that you _don’t_ ,” James warned.  “Friends or not, none of us will stand for it.”

“What’s going on here?” 

James’s head spun around and his hand dropped to his side.  Scorpius looked equally surprised and, Rose noted, slightly guilty.  Her eyes narrowed as she gazed from one to the other, walking towards them.

“Hey brat,” James teased, plastering a forced smile on his face.  “We’re just settling up on a friendly little bet, right, mate?” he said, turning back to Scorpius, a strained emphasis on the term ‘mate.’

“As agreed, a case of Ogden’s finest for your victory,” Scorpius answered, his usual bored, unaffectedly pompous look gracing his features.  “I’ll ask Father to send it, undetectable of course.”  He arched an eyebrow at Rose.  “We wouldn’t want any of the more ‘rule-abiding’ prefects to catch wind of it and give you detention.”

She detected teasing in his voice and saw a slight smirk tugging at his mouth.  James laughed aloud, and almost instantly, the tension between the two boys abated.  But Rose wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.  She wasn’t stupid; they had been arguing, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with Ogden’s Finest or Quidditch.  Instead, Rose had a sinking suspicion that it had something to do with her.

“Ha, ha,” she replied.  “But you didn’t answer me,” she said pointedly to James.  “What were you talking about before?  When I came up?  It sounded like you were arguing –”

James waved her off.  “Oh that?  It was nothing.  Just a misunderstanding.”  He thumped her on the top of her head.  “Too much aggression left over from the match, I reckon.”

“Damn it, James,” she hissed, rubbing her head.  “Stop it!”  

He dodged her fist aimed for his arm and laughed again as he backed away down the corridor.  “Never.  It’s my birthright to torture the younger generations.”  And with a smarmy wave, he disappeared around the corner.

“We’re in the same generation, you idiot,” she muttered, glaring at the spot where he had been.  She looked up at Scorpius who was leaning against the wall staring at her, an odd expression on his face.

“What?” she asked irritably, suddenly very self-conscious.  She crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

Rather than answer, he reached over and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his body.  She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but this wasn’t it, and his sudden movement caught her off-guard, causing her to stumble into him a bit clumsily.  

“I’m not finished,” she said, their eyes locked.  “I want to know what you were arguing about just now with James –”

But then his mouth touched hers and all thoughts of finding out the reason for his argument with James were pushed to the back of her mind as his arms wrapped around her, and she melted into his chest, eventually breaking apart just long enough to slip into the nearest classroom.

Hours later, her lips swollen and her hair terribly mussed, Rose snuck down to the kitchens and begged one of the house elves to give her a snack, blushing profusely when she explained that she never had made it down to dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 3 **

“Don’t tell me she got another bleeding owl,” James complained to Al as he sauntered over to the far side of the Common Room.  “Can’t they give it a rest?  It’s been a bloody week.  Who’s this one from?”  Rose could hear the teasing in his voice despite the scowl on his face.

She wouldn’t say so aloud, but Rose agreed with him.  She was _really_ ready for something to take everyone’s attention away from the Quidditch match, and she hoped that their first Apparition lesson today would be just the thing.  It wasn’t as if she hadn’t enjoyed all the attention initially, because she really had.  And it had been rather flattering to get so many congratulatory owls from nearly every member of her family, although she wasn’t particularly thrilled that several of them mentioned how brilliant it was that she’d bested ‘that bloody Malfoy kid.’  But she had grown bored rehashing the details at every meal and in the Common Room and in between classes rather quickly  _Yes_ , she was happy about it, and _yes_ , it was quite a daring catch, and _yes_ , she was thrilled that it not only put Gryffindor in the lead for the Quidditch Cup but for the House Cup as well.  But enough was enough, and Rose was more than ready to move on.

“Dad.  And he’s now decided that Rosie needs to replace you as Captain,” Al replied, waving the parchment tauntingly in front of James’s face.  “Said he’d be speaking to Neville about it.”  

“Did not!” James reached for the letter, obviously irritated when Al leaned forward and held it just out of his reach.  “He wouldn’t –” 

“Oh, wouldn’t he?  Seems to think he has a kindred spirit in Rosie here.”  Al smirked and nodded towards Rose who sat quietly beside him, biting back a giggle as she watched the two of them go at it.  “Said there’s something special about being a Seeker rather than being a Chaser.”

“Oh, right.  As if he’d say that when Mum was a Chaser,” James grinned, plopping down on Rose’s other side.  “Now I know you’re just yanking my chain.  Nice try … _Albie_.  Seriously, who’s it from?”

Al let out a loud huff.  “I told you… _Jamie_ …it’s from Dad.”

Rose watched in amusement as they continued trying to one-up each other.  She had to admit that she found it terribly amusing to watch Al in action – he was one of the few people who could make the always ‘cool’ James lose it – and apparently he’d decided to go straight for the jugular.

“– to really concentrate so it doesn’t take _me_ three tries to pass it.”

James reached across Rose and caught Al mid-snicker, punching him hard in the upper arm.  “Ow!  Wanker!” Al rubbed his arm, glaring at his brother. “What the fuck was that for?”

“You know,” James frowned.  “That was supposed to be a secret.”

Al looked around with a huff.  “No one heard me.”

James took a deep breath and nodded angrily towards Rose.

“Oh, I already knew,” Rose shrugged.  “What?  Nothing stays a secret in our family.”  Suddenly, she was hit with inspiration, and, ignoring Al who was chuckling under his breath, she flashed James a false sympathetic smile.  “And I reckon I can keep your secret, seeing as it wouldn’t do at all for everyone to find out that James Potter didn’t pass his Apparition test _twice_.  Although,” allowing her voice to drop off, she pretended to be pondering something before turning to face James, “you never did tell me what you and Scorpius were arguing about last week, so maybe it would serve you right.”

Al stopped laughing and turned to James.  “You were arguing?  Why?”

James rolled his eyes exasperatedly at Rose, apparently ignoring Al’s question.  “Like I told you, brat, it was nothing.  We were just settling a bet.”  He winked at Al.  “And you’ll want to pay a visit to the Seventh Year dorm tonight after curfew if you want to share in my rewards – a case of Ogden’s Finest, courtesy of our dear Rosie’s boyfriend.”

“Really?” Al whistled, clearly impressed.  “Excellent.”

“Excuse me, don’t you think it’s a bit risky to discuss getting pissed in the dormitory right in front of a prefect?”  Rose crossed her arms, pursed her lips, and gave him a half-hearted version of her best exasperated look, all the while trying not to smile.

“Whatever you say,” James scoffed, shaking his head at her as he rose from the sofa.  “And you might think about working on your technique with ‘the look’ because I can tell you’re trying not to laugh.  Besides, it’s not as if I’d be intimidated by you when I’ve faced both Mum and Auntie Hermione.  Together.  Recently.”

Al winced, and Rose giggled despite her best efforts not to.  James did have a point – at some point in their lives, they’d _all_ been on the receiving end of the ‘double whammy’ as Teddy had so dubbed it years ago – and the combined glares of those two women struck fear in the hearts of each and every one of the Weasley–Potter progeny. 

“Wait,” she said, reaching out to grab his arm.  “I believe we were discussing something.  That fight…your secret.”

James sighed impatiently.  “I’ve told you all I’m going to.  Since you obviously don’t believe me, you’ll have to drag it out of your boyfriend.  I’m sure you can think of some very _effective_ way to get whatever information you want out of him.”  He pulled his arm away and smirked, leaning in and dropping his voice, “But just so you know, it’s Lily’s week with the Map.”

He straightened up and looked at his watch.  “And you’d better get a move on, or else you’ll be late for your _fascinating_ Apparition lessons.”

Al glanced at his own watch.  “Bugger.  I need to go by the greenhouses before I meet Ellie at a quarter of.  They start at ten, right?”  Rose nodded as he stood.  

“Meet you there, alright?”  And without waiting for her response, Al nearly sprinted towards the portrait hole.

Rose watched him leave, pondering James’s response to her attempted bribe.  No matter what he or Scorpius insisted each time she’d tried to finagle the truth from them over the past week, she _knew_ that there was more to their disagreement than either of them was saying.  A sigh escaped her lips, and she brought her hand up to her mouth to hide the smile that threatened as she recalled how much fun she’d had trying to coax Scorpius into coming clean.

She hadn’t been entirely sure what going out with him would be like, but she was relieved to discover that it had changed very little after all.  They continued to spar over answers in their classes as they competed for the top grades just as they continued studying together, arguing over theories as they always had and driving the rest of their group mad.  But they hadn’t partnered up or changed seats in their classes, nor had they altered the way they teased and tormented each other just to get a response. In fact, being Scorpius Malfoy’s girlfriend was not particularly different from being his close friend, with the rather enjoyable additional benefit of snogging him.

And Rose was more than delighted with the privilege of snogging him whenever the opportunity arose.  So much so, in fact, that she’d bent her own ‘no kissing in public’ rule a time or ten over the past week, although she _really was_ trying to be careful and not to let things get too carried away, seeing as she’d never been particularly showy about that sort of thing or particularly keen on watching her classmates go at it either.

But sometimes, she simply couldn’t help it, because Scorpius made it entirely too easy for her to forget herself.

Rose smiled, considering her plans for the day.  First, they had Apparition lessons, and although Scorpius wasn’t joining them since Rory and Wallis Urquhart had signed up as well, she was meeting up with him at the Pitch after lunch to go flying.  She felt herself blush as her mind flashed back to flying with him two afternoons ago and how the two of them had only flown for a short time before ending up entangled for an hour in the changing rooms afterwards.

She wasn’t sure she could chance that today, though.  Not with Lily being in possession of the Marauder’s Map and a free Saturday afternoon in front of her.  Rose knew from experience that one of her cousin’s favorite pastimes was spying on the rest of them, and she had to admit that Lily had become quite adept at it even without the added assistance.  But once she’d been added into the weekly rotation the previous year, her skills had been honed to near perfect precision.  And she was likely to be especially harsh this term since she was feeling left out by not being allowed to sign up for Apparition lessons.  Rose figured that Hugo might be safe since he, too, wasn’t old enough, but the rest of them were fair game and would surely suffer for her aggravation.

Rose sniggered as she thought of just how much they’d got into – and how much trouble they’d avoided – thanks to that old ratty parchment.  She could still hear James’s excitement as he relayed the events surrounding his procurement of it on the train before her second year.  

That he’d _found_ the old blank piece of parchment in the unlocked top drawer of Uncle Harry’s desk, having been sent there by Teddy, who’d insisted that James needed to retrieve a very important item that would greatly enhance his next five years at Hogwarts from it.  

That there was a note attached instructing James to ‘take it to George to find out what you need to know’ in handwriting that looked suspiciously like Uncle Harry’s.  

That Uncle George gladly provided James with the Map’s secrets so long as he promised to share it with the rest of the youngest generation of Potters and Weasleys before then spending hours sharing stories of the mischief he and Uncle Fred got into.

That thanks to Uncle Harry, James was made privy to some of the adventures of Teddy’s dad, James’s granddad, and Uncle Harry’s godfather, who were the actual ‘Marauders’ as well as those of Uncle Harry and Rose’s Mum and Dad when they were at Hogwarts, all thanks to the Map.  

That Uncle Harry was loaning the Map to James on three explicit conditions.  

First, he had to continue in Teddy’s footsteps by sharing it among the cousins, each of them keeping it for a week before it passed to the next in line.

Second, the Map had to be kept a secret from anyone who wasn’t related to them, and it was imperative that they remembered to clear it each and every time they used it; no exceptions.

And third, none of them were _ever_ to discuss the Map with anyone who wasn’t a Weasley or a Potter currently enrolled at Hogwarts, and under no circumstances were they _ever_ to disclose that they had it to Rose’s Mum or Auntie Ginny.

Although he hadn’t come right out and said so, Uncle Harry had hinted, and they all suspected, that he’d placed a hex or two upon the Map that would alert him if any of them ever breached the conditions he’d placed upon it.  And since none of them had ever exhibited anything out of the ordinary, Rose assumed that they’d all managed to comply.  

She was actually grateful for the secrecy requirement; it allowed her to be a bit disobedient without anyone other than her family knowing about it – and oftentimes, without even them knowing – thus satisfying her rebellious side while keeping up her ‘good girl’ image.

At a quarter of, she made her way to the Great Hall to meet Al and Ellie, instead catching sight of Diana at the bottom of the marble staircase.  “Good morning!” she called with a smile.

Diana grinned.  “Hullo!”  She looked around briefly.  “Where are the others?”

“Al had to run by the greenhouses for something.” Rose shrugged.  “He and Ellie will meet up with us.”

“Okay.”  Diana fiddled with her hair.  “Aren’t you nervous?” she asked as they peered inside the Great Hall.  All of the tables were gone, replaced with three dozen hoops lying on the floor.  “James said it’s pretty hard.”

_Well, James would know all about that, wouldn’t he_?  Rose bit back a giggle and shook her head.  She noticed Lavender Longbottom talking with the Headmistress near the spot usually occupied by the head table.  “Not really.  Mum said that no one gets it the first couple of times anyway.”  She glanced tentatively around the Hall, trying to be subtle in her search for Scorpius.

“Who are you – oh, isn’t that Cameron’s mum?”  

“Yeah,” Rose replied thoughtfully.  “I forgot she works for the Department of Magical Transportation.  I guess she does Apparition training now.”  Her eyes fell upon _him_ , meeting his briefly, and she smiled shyly when he winked before returning his attention to his friends.

Rose purposely ignored Diana’s knowing look and nudge.  “Come on. We can wait over here.”They stood near the base of the staircase and waited, chatting briefly with Miranda Mandelbaum and Regan Werner, and they were giggling about the absurdity of Headmistress Vector’s latest hairstyle when they heard a familiar voice behind them speaking in a quiet yet furious tone.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

Rose spun around to see Simon Macmillan standing between Al and Kellam Whitby, his arm outstretched in front of Al, as if holding him back.  Al had drawn his wand and was eyeing Whitby with a murderous gaze.  She heard Ellie’s gasp behind Al, as she, too, wore an appalled expression.

“I’d calm down if I was you, Potter,” Whitby sneered.  “Wouldn’t want to make a scene, would we?”

“I’d shut the hell up if I was you, Whitby,” Al retorted angrily.  “Shit like that will get you hexed–”  His eyes were blazing, and although they were the same green as Uncle Harry’s, the scorching look in them reminded Rose of her Auntie Ginny.

“By you and who else?” Whitby taunted.  “Besides, I was only sharing what I’d heard from _others._  Not my problem if you don’t like the content.  Next time mind your own business.”  

“My family _is_ my business, you fucker.  And believe me, I can handle the likes of you with one arm tied behind my back.”  

“Not that he _would be_ alone, mind,” Simon interjected, his incensed look taking in both Whitby and Thomas Quirke standing behind him.  “Now sod off, both of you.”

“And keep your fucking mouths shut,” Al hissed.  “I swear, if I ever –”

“Save it, Potter.”  Whitby motioned for Quirke to follow.  “Such a fucking hothead,” Rose heard Quirke grumble as they sauntered past, both of them leering at her.  Only then did Al lower his wand; he glanced at Simon and mumbled, “Thanks, mate.”

“S’okay.”  Simon clapped him on the shoulder.  “Would’ve pulled _my_ wand if you hadn’t beat me to it.”  He shook his head.  “Bloody wankers.”

“Oh god, what was _that_ all about?”

Judging by Ellie’s horrified “Oh!” and the looks of shock on all of their faces, Rose easily deduced that none had realized that she and Diana were even there, much less witnesses to that scene.  All the color drained from Simon’s face but Al’s remained flushed.  Ellie looked as if she might cry.

“Uh, hullo.”  Simon managed a weak smile for Diana, but Rose noticed that he avoided looking directly at her before he turned back to Al.  “I’m, uh…I’ll see you inside.”  

Al nodded wordlessly, his expression still grim but no longer irate.  Rose’s eyes followed Simon’s trek into the Great Hall before she turned back to Al and Ellie in time to see him close the distance and take Ellie by the hand, muttering, “C’mon.”

Rose looked at him expectantly when his eyes drifted to her.  He shook his head tersely, his lips pursed into a very thin white line, his eyes still blazing.  “Later,” Ellie whispered, gently touching Rose’s arm as she passed in front of her.

She wanted to protest, but something in Al’s eyes and in the tone of Ellie’s voice kept her from arguing as she and Diana wordlessly followed them into the Great Hall.  They found four hoops near the back, alongside the far wall, just as Lavender was calling the room to order.  Rose tried to pay attention, but her mind was wondering.  

Whereas James had a tendency to fly off the handle at times, much like Hugo and, from the stories Rose had heard, her dad and Uncle Harry when they were younger, Al, on the other hand, was like Granddad – usually very calm and laid-back, always thinking before reacting, able to keep his cool when provoked.  But if he was pushed too far …  

Rose swallowed hard.  She’d only seen Al react like that twice in her life.  The first, when Lily was being bullied by a Seventh Year on the train her first year, left him with some rather nasty bruises for his trouble, and the second, when Kellam Whitby’s older brother, Kegan, made a pass at Therese last year, stupidly calling her ‘a Veela whore like her sister Victoire’ in front of Al and Fred, got them detention for a month, but both times he repeatedly insisted it was worth it because _no one_ messed with his family.

Judging by the way he, Ellie, and Simon reacted when they saw her, Rose knew this was about her, and she could only guess what Kellam Whitby might say about her, especially considering she’d refused to go out with him at least a dozen times over the past year.  So yes, she would acquiesce.  For now.  But this time, there was no way she would believe that it was ‘nothing,’ and she was determined to find out what was going on.

**** 

“Okay, we’re alone.  Now spill it.”  Rose sat in the middle of her bed two hours later, watching Ellie pace in front of her desk before plopping down beside her.  Ellie’s eyes were conflicted and Rose had a sinking feeling that she was not going to like what her best friend was about to tell her.  “Please, Ellie.  I have to know.”

Ellie took a deep breath and sighed.  “It’s just…Al and I found out why James was ticked off with Scorpius, Rose, and I’m...”  Ellie took her hand and squeezed it, causing her heart to clench, her stomach to churn, and a lump to rise in her throat.  “I think you need to know what’s being said about you.”  She paused.  “Well, not _only_ about you.”

The lump grew considerably.  “About me?” she managed, her voice barely a whisper.  “Not _only_ about me?  Scorpius?  Is he –?”

Ellie shook her head quickly.  “No, and Al and James are convinced that he’s tried to stop it all from going any further.  Al told me that he heard from Rory that Scorpius, Orville Edgecombe, and Gavin Richards nearly had an all-out brawl in their Common Room last weekend over the rubbish they were saying, and that Scorpius threatened to hex them good if he heard they’d said anything else about either of you.”  She sighed.  “But it’s not just the Slytherins running their bloody mouths.”

“So that today … Al and Whitby in the entry hall?  It _was_ about me, wasn’t it?”

Ellie nodded solemnly, and Rose took a calming breath.  “Well, it can’t be all that bad because I know I haven’t done anything,” she reasoned, trying to keep her sense of humor by reverting back to glib sarcasm.  “So,” her eyes bored into Ellie’s, “what’s being said?  That I’m a complete slag, shagging him all over the school or something?”

Rose was surprised by Ellie’s sharp intake of breath and her eyes widening, and her heart fell into her knees.  _Oh god.  Could it really be something like that?_ “Ellie?” she squeaked. 

“Not quite that…” she inhaled deeply then exhaled loudly.  “Okay, here it is.  Now, stay calm and let me get this out, okay?  She paused to take a breath but didn’t wait for a response.  “People are making some _observations_ about you and Scorpius that are less than flattering.”

Rose waited, knowing that Ellie was working out exactly what she was going to say.  

“Before Apparition lessons, Al and I met at the greenhouses and, uh…well, anyway, we were coming into the castle behind Whitby and Quirke, and they couldn’t see us, but…we couldn’t help overhearing them because they were being rather loud and…well, crude…complimenting your arse – Diana’s and mine, too – which was making Al really angry and probably would have been enough for him to hex them if they didn’t stop.”

She tightened her grip on Rose’s hand, and Rose knew the worst was yet to come.  “But then…well, Quirke started moaning about how he couldn’t believe you and ‘Malfoy’ were going out, and that Scorpius must be, um…well, _mental_ , for ditching someone like Lise Dubois for ‘the likes of’ you.  And then…” Ellie paused again, bit her lip, and winced, “…then Whitby laughed and said to him…oh god, this is just…he said ‘Didn’t you know?  All Malfoy needs to complete his _proper tour_ of the Houses is to’…um…‘nail a Gryffindor,’…and that he’d, uh, made a wager with Richards, Orville Edgecombe, and a few others as to whether he’d…manage it with you.” 

Unconsciously, Rose’s hand rose to her mouth.  Humiliation rushed over her, and she barely heard Ellie continue, “…Al was fuming by this point, and I literally had to hold onto him to keep him from going after them.  But then…then Whitby said that…oh Rose…he agreed with Richards and Edgecombe – that if he had to, um…shag a Gryffindor, that at least Scorpius picked a really hot one and…oh, this is the worst part…that if you, um…wrapped your legs around him as tightly as you do your broomstick that he was…going to, uh, go out in 'grand' style and then maybe you’d loosen up enough to…oh…enjoy riding something _besides_ a broomstick.”

Ellie sighed loudly.  “That was when Al lost it, and he shoved Whitby hard from behind.  Lucky thing Simon was there, because I was trying to hold him back, but,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “he was livid.  I’ve never seen him like that before.”

Rose felt ill.  Literally.  The lump in her throat was threatening to choke her, and her mind was racing so much that she squeezed her eyes shut to keep from getting dizzy.  She was insulted by those awful insinuations about her.  And she was embarrassed by the descriptions of wrapping her legs around anything and the label ‘sexy’ being applied to her.  

But above all, she was shocked by the 'proper tour’ comments and the revelation that Scorpius had not only had three steady girlfriends these past two years, but he’d apparently been serious enough with all three of them for him to need to ‘nail’ her to complete his ‘proper tour.’  Suddenly, every moment that she’d spent snogging him over the past week came to mind, and she felt a great deal of shame for getting so carried away.  Although the logical part of her brain insisted she remain calm, she couldn’t help the feeling of doubt as to everything he’d told her since that night in the library that overtook her as she began gauging every word, every kiss, every touch in terms of his attempts to get her into bed.  

And she felt very foolish.  For not having seen it.  For not noticing before that all of Scorpius’s actual girlfriends were in different Houses:  Lise in Hufflepuff, Judith in Slytherin, Simone in Ravenclaw, and Rose in Gryffindor.  For not even considering that he’d shagged _them all_ , although she’d had suspicions about him and Lise.  For allowing herself to have such strong feelings for him in such a short amount of time.  _Well, not too short_ , she told herself, considering they’d been good friends for so long, but…this was different.

“Rose?” Ellie’s voice broke through her thoughts.  “Are you okay?”

She forced her eyes open, not particularly surprised to find tears leaking from them.  She nodded blindly as Ellie reached over and wiped her cheek.  “Well, that’s not…I suppose it could be worse, right?  They could be wagering on how long before I shag the entire Slytherin team.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”  Ellie shook her head sadly.  “But you don’t have to make light of this.  It’s me, okay?  And it’s okay to be upset, Rose.  I know I’m still furious, and Simon was so angry he could barely speak.  I expect Al is _still_ reading James the riot act for not telling him about this last week.”  She squeezed Rose’s hand again.  “And I know _you_ – you’re wondering if he’s only going out with you in order to shag you.  And you’re insulted at the thought that people are wagering over it.  And you’re embarrassed that anyone is talking about you at all like that.  Am I right?”

Rose took a deep breath and nodded.  “I’m supposed to meet him later for a fly.  How can I – What if that’s true?” she whispered, wiping her face roughly.  “I’m not falling for someone who’s only using me.”

“Of course not, but do you really think he is?  I mean, we’ve been friends with him for ages.  Do you really believe he’s like that?”

“No,” Rose admitted.  “Although…you’re friends with Simone; did you know they’d –”

Ellie shook her head emphatically.  “Or Judith either.”  She crinkled her brows.  “You know, I don’t think I believe it about either of them, actually.  Simone is awfully ‘proper’ – besides, she and Nikolas have been together for over a year now, and they don’t do _anything_ even close to that.  I can’t imagine she’d hold out on him that long if she’d already shagged someone else.  And don’t you think Judith was just too young?”

Rose considered this.  Logically, Ellie was right.  Simone and Nikolas Koudelka seemed very serious, and if she wasn’t shagging him, surely she wouldn’t have shagged Scorpius two years ago.  And admittedly, although Rose knew very little about Judith since she was a year behind them and not in any of her classes, she remembered that she’d dated Scorpius only briefly at the end of their fifth year, and fifteen seemed awfully early to be having sex.

“I suppose,” Rose replied with a heavy sigh.  “Maybe I’m overreacting, but I couldn’t stand it if he’s not sincere…”

Ellie bit her lip.  “No, I’d be thinking the same thing.  Honest.  Don’t you remember how insecure I was about Al at first?  How I couldn’t believe that he really wanted to be with me when Chloe was making it painfully obvious how much she wanted him?  It’s pretty much the same thing.  So I don’t think you’re overreacting.  But I do think you need to talk to Scorpius about it.  I know how much you like him, and he seems to really be mad about you, too.”

“I know…or at least I thought I did.”  Rose crossed her arms and hugged herself.  “This week has been amazing.”

Ellie rubbed her arm, not saying anything, but her expression spoke volumes.  Rose knew Ellie understood what she was unable to say aloud – that already, she was in too deep to escape without some scars.

A loud knock on her door shook her from her thoughts, and she started as it swung open, Camille Macmillan’s face appearing around it.  “Rose?”

Rose bounded off the bed as Camille entered the room.  “Oh good.  I was hoping you’d be here.  Al sent me up to find you,” Camille explained.  “You have a visitor out in the corridor.”

Rose’s breath caught in her throat.  She knew unequivocally who it had to be.  She only hoped that he was there on his own accord, that Al or James hadn’t done anything stupid.  

“Oh?  All right.  Tell him I’ll be right down.”

Rose vaguely heard Camille’s response as she turned to her vanity and shook her head.  “God, I look awful.”  She ran a hand through her hair and picked up her wand, thankful that Victoire had told her the effectiveness of a good hangover charm for working wonders on red, puffy, post-crying eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and smiled sadly at Ellie who returned the smile and hugged her.  “Guess it’s now or never, right?” 

She shook out the heavy maroon jumper lying on the end of her bed before slipping it on and rolling up the sleeves as the two of them made their way downstairs in silence.  Rose was glad that they met no one else on the stairs, using the moment to collect her thoughts and calm her nerves.

“He’s outside,” Al said simply with a nod towards the portrait hole as she and Ellie reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into the Common Room.  He still looked irritated but not nearly as irate as before, and Rose took this as a good sign.  

She quirked her eyebrow and crossed her arms, but he cut her off before she could ask, holding up his hand to quiet her.  “I didn’t bring him here, if that’s what you’re worried about.  But I _did_ talk to him about it _the whole way over_.”  

Al glared at her, almost as if daring her to retort, and Rose felt another rush of emotion.  She was truly fortunate to have the family and friends she did, and even though she didn’t need Al – or any of the rest of them for that matter – to fight her battles, she appreciated that they would.  Rose reached up and kissed his cheek.  “Love you, Al,” she whispered as she swept by him.

She pushed open the portrait hole and stepped out, immediately coming face to face with Scorpius.

“Rose, I –”  His eyes flashed, and she caught a hint of desperation in them.

“Not here,” she said tersely, shaking her head.  She motioned for him to follow, and although she tensed up when he reached over and took her hand, she didn’t pull back.  He seemed relieved, and he wove his fingers between hers, gripping them tightly, apparently ignoring the fact that hers remained limp.  Her other hand, however, was clenched in a tight fist, her fingernails digging into her palm.  

Neither of them spoke or acknowledged any of the students they passed as Rose led him downstairs and out to the Pitch, her mind racing the entire time.  Rose knew that this was a matter of pride, and hers was smarting.  She _didn’t want_ to believe Scorpius didn’t really want to be with her, that his kisses and caresses were only a means to get into her knickers.  

They were _friends_ first – had been for nearly six years – and that had to mean something, didn’t it?  If he didn’t really care for and respect her, wouldn’t she be able to tell that it was all fake?

When they reached the Pitch, Rose led him to the edge of the stands before stopping and pulling her hand away.  She took a deep breath as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked into the empty stands, allowing the smell of the grass to wash over her and soothe her in a way she never quite understood.  

“What you’ve heard – it isn’t true.”

She turned back to face him, and many of her doubts as to his feelings were immediately allayed.  His gaze was intense, his tone determined, and he looked more vulnerable than she’d ever seen him.  Instinctively, she took a tentative step towards him.  She would listen to what he had to say, but she was going to make him work for it nevertheless.  “Okay.”

“I’m not with you to _finish_ anything.”

“Okay.”  

“I’m not that kind of a prick, Rose.”

“Okay.” 

Scorpius took a deep breath and glared at her.  “Are you happy now?  Now that you finally have your answers?  Now do you see why I didn’t want to tell you?”  He shook his head angrily and looked towards the hoops. 

The sound that escaped her throat was half frustrated chuckle, half huff.  “Yes, I can see why, but am I happy?” she retorted, counting off with her fingers.  “I’m embarrassed, and I’m humiliated, and I’m hurt, and I’m angry.  But no, I can’t say as I’m happy.”

Their eyes met, and his expression softened a bit.  “I’m sorry.”

“Why are _you_ sorry?” she asked.  “If it isn’t true, you have no reason to be sorry.”

He sighed.  “It was my teammates that started that rumor.”

“Which one?” Rose felt a hot flush upon her cheeks.  “The one about me being your Gryffindor trophy or the one about how I need to learn how to ride something other than a broomstick?”  She shook her head, willing the angry tears not to reappear.  She _did not_ want to cry in front of him.  “Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”

She mused that he at least had the good graces to appear somewhat abashed, albeit indignant.  “Of course I do.  Do you think I want people talking about us that way?  And don’t act as if I don’t care.  I took up for you.  I had it out with Gavin and Orville for starting that shit to begin with.  And I will be having a word or two with Whitby and Quirke after dinner tonight.”  

“Do you really think that’s necessary?” she asked wearily.

He frowned again.  “I think so, yes.  Why would you even ask?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged.  “By confronting them, you’re raising it all again after the fact, and that just lends credibility to it.”

“No, it shows that they can’t get away with saying things like that about me or my girlfriend.”

She wanted to smile at the ‘girlfriend’ reference, but she couldn’t allow herself to just yet.  “But if none of it’s true, why would you bother?”  He didn’t respond, and despite the warning in her head to shut the hell up, she was unable to stop herself from pressing.  “Because _none_ _of it_ is true, right?”

She shivered as much from his silence, raised eyebrow, and pursed lips, as she did from the wind blowing around them.  She dug her hands under her thick woolen jumper, wishing she’d thought to grab her cloak, at the very least, for something else to wrap around herself when he finally answered.

Scorpius eyed her for a moment, and Rose could easily detect frustration and defiance evident in his expression and in the tone of his voice.  “I’m not going to apologize for things I did before we were together, Rose.”

She could feel all the blood drain from her face and yet if she had to guess, she figured that her cheeks were bright red.  “Oh.”  She looked over his shoulder at the hoops across the Pitch, not sure what else to say. 

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it was not for him to essentially admit that any of it was true.  Only now, based upon what he said and didn’t say, Rose had no reason to doubt that he had, in fact, shagged not only Lise, but the others as well.  And this knowledge somehow cheapened everything between them – everything he’d said about fancying her for months, every time he’d kissed her as if she was the only girl in the world – and she couldn’t stop the image of him having done those same things three times before.

Scorpius blew out a heavy breath and she glanced up, watching as he ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated.  “Damn it all to hell.  Don’t do this, Rose.  You can’t hold past girlfriends against me.  I don’t ask you about Macmillian or any of the other blokes you’ve dated.”

She knew he was right.  How was it fair for her to she blame him for anything he’d done before they were together?  And yet, the revelation still stung, as did his superior tone.   _Who the fuck does he think he is?_

“I know,” she replied, meeting his intense gaze once again.  “I wasn’t asking you for any bloody _details_ , you know.  I just didn’t understand why it was so important for you to prove your point to arses like Quirke and Whitby.  But that explains it – it’s not only _my_ honor that you’re trying to protect, is it?”

“Why are you being like this?  I said I’m sorry.  I have done everything in my power to keep this shit from spreading.  I didn’t want you to know because I was trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need you to protect me!” Rose fumed.  “I need you to be honest with me.  To trust me.”

“I am being honest, and I do trust you!  I just don’t want to talk about things that have no bearing on us.  What matters to me is what happens now…right now…between us.”  Tentatively he reached out his hand, and Rose took it in hers, allowing him to pull her into his arms.  “I don’t want this to be a problem,” he mumbled into her hair, “all of this today.”

“Me either,” she agreed, her lips against his jaw.  “It’s just…”  She closed her eyes and summoned her Weasley courage.  “I really like you, Scorpius.  I like being your girlfriend, and I want to be with you.  I _really_ do.  But I won’t be a conquest.”

She felt him tense and Rose was preparing herself for another battle when he surprised her by pulling back and looking at her intently.  “I suppose I deserve that, although I _should_ be insulted that you would even feel it necessary to say such a thing.”  His hand brushed over her cheek, and he pushed her curls behind her ear.  “But just so you know, I really care about you, too.  You _have_ to believe me.”

She wanted to.  Oh god, how she wanted to.  But it pained her to think that she liked him enough to actually consider ‘if’ they might shag at the same time that he was possibly planning to ditch her if they did.

But his eyes spoke volumes and his words had been impassioned.  Real.

“I believe you,” she said simply, allowing what she felt in her heart to override the warnings coming from her brain.

“And you can’t question it every time I kiss you,” he continued, his expression playful but his voice serious, “what you mean to me.  All right?”

He held her gaze, and Rose felt that very intense _something_ pass between them once again.  

“Okay,” she whispered, her hand sliding up to grasp his face and bring their lips together.  Scorpius tightened his arms around her, his body relaxing against hers.  Rose held tight to his cheeks, putting everything she had – and had been feeling all day – into the kiss, her tongue sweeping into his mouth with purpose.

She needed to burn this moment into his mind.  

She had to make sure that he wouldn’t forget his promise.  

She wanted to erase any memories of others from his mind.

Rose pulled Scorpius roughly against her, wedging herself between the stands and his body.  She was thankful that he seemed to sense her desires and followed her lead as her hands slid into his hair and she pressed her body as tightly against his as she could manage for the next hour.

And yet, as she allowed herself to believe – really believe – that this _something_ between them was real, Rose was forced to acknowledge, against her will, that she wasn’t sure if it was close enough. 


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4 **

“Come with me, Rose,” he whispered before sliding his lips seductively over hers once more. 

Rose answered by tightening her arms around his neck and crushing her chest against his as she deepened their kiss, ignoring their not-entirely-hidden location in the potions classroom and the fact that anyone, including a very unwelcome professor, could come upon them at any moment.  She shifted slightly in his lap when his hands slipped under the hem of her jumper and touched the bare skin of her back.

“I take it that’s a ‘yes’ then?” Scorpius chuckled when the need for air finally caused them to separate.

“Of course,” she giggled breathlessly, her lips against his cheek as his mouth moved to her neck.  “But you didn’t have to actually ask me.  I’d already presumed we’d go together.”  She pulled his earlobe between her teeth, trying not to be terribly distracted by his thumbs now sliding over her ribs as his hands moved up her back.  “All part and parcel of being a boyfriend.”

“And I _am_ a proper boyfriend, after all.  Although I question how prudent it is to just _presume_ anything,” he mumbled, his fingers skirting the fabric of her bra, dangerously close to the hook.

“Scorpius…” she gasped, “don’t…not here.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied regretfully, slowly returning his hands down her back to rest at her waist.  His head fell back against the chair, and he closed his eyes.  Rose remained seated on his lap, one arm still around his neck as she ran the other through her hair, catching her breath.  She eventually slid off his leg and back into her seat, desperately wishing they were somewhere else, alone, so that they could have proceeded as they were rather than having to go back to their books.

They had been harmlessly studying for Ancient Runes while she tended to her Polyjuice potion when he’d first mentioned the Hogsmeade visit coming that weekend and asked her to accompany him – on a date.  She’d been so shocked that he’d actually thought to ask her that she couldn’t resist sliding into his lap and thanking him properly for being such a gentleman.

As he resumed studying and she turned back to her potion, Rose pondered how she could make it through the next five days until the weekend.  She was truly at her wit’s end; unable to believe that it was already mid-way through March.  And between school work, Quidditch practice, Apparition lessons, and prefect duties, she barely had a moment to herself.  So, even before now, she’d been looking forward to the Hogsmeade visit scheduled for Saturday, the first one of the term, which could not have come at a better time as far as Rose was concerned.

Yes, going to Hogsmeade would provide a much needed break from the stress that she found herself under academically.  Their classes were getting more difficult as they neared the end of their sixth year, and she was staying up later and later studying most nights.  In addition, she had begun brewing the Polyjuice for her potions project, and it was turning out to be more complex and time consuming, especially in its early stages, than she originally anticipated, requiring a lot more attention than she had expected.  So, out of necessity, she was spending much of her sparse free time in the potions classroom fussing over it.  And additional time in the potions classroom also meant she was forced to endure entirely too much of Professor Zabini, and her stupid pug-face and incessant snide remarks, which Rose constantly fought against responding to so as not to get detention again.

On the other hand, additional study sessions and frequent visits to the dungeons also meant that, like this afternoon, she was spending more time in Scorpius’s presence, and _that_ was an occurrence that Rose more than welcomed.  

She glanced at him, his head bent over his book, and she smiled.  They had certainly become closer over the past several weeks, and she often thought that the awful mess with Whitby and their subsequent row had been a good thing after all, even though she was still infuriated when she thought about the ways in which she’d been insulted and the things they’d insinuated about Scorpius’s reasons for dating her.  But things had changed very subtly between her and Scorpius since then, and Rose was pleased that he was making a real effort to prove that he was sincere in his feelings towards her.  Not that their sparring hadn’t continued, because competition was just an engrained part of their relationship.  But there had been little things, like surprising her with a batch of red chrysanthemums rather than roses on Valentine’s Day because they were his mother’s favorites, or giving up his cloak in Herbology one afternoon when she’d forgot hers, or swooping in and snatching her for a ride on his Firebolt in the middle of practice one afternoon just to annoy James, or asking her to Hogsmeade on an actual date.  And the curiously non-healable black eyes and broken noses that both Whitby and Quirke had sported for two weeks afterwards almost made up for the afternoon of embarrassment and humiliation she’d had to endure.

Scorpius’s actions had also helped to temper the fact that he had refused to admit or deny anything about that ‘tour of the Houses’ allegation with respect to his past experiences with his former girlfriends.  Rose hadn’t asked him about it again – his answer had replayed in her mind too many times over the weeks – although she couldn’t help thinking that if it wasn’t true, he would have just denied it all.

But as the weeks passed and he repeatedly displayed his sincerity in word and deed, Rose found that her own feelings were growing deeper and it was getting harder and harder to resist him.

Although not nearly as experienced with the opposite sex as he apparently was, Rose was certainly no prude; she had always liked kissing her boyfriends in the past, but none compared in the least to Scorpius.  _No, not simply kissing,_ she thought, heat running up her cheeks and flowing through her body, _what we’re doing falls squarely into the realm of snogging_.  She also knew that it was really only a matter of time until their relationship progressed beyond snogging into something more.  

During the months that she and Simon dated, they’d snogged each other madly often enough, and before she ended things, they had experimented with a bit of feeling each other up over their clothes.  But Rose never had any intention of taking things any further with him.  Oh, he was a fantastic kisser, and she had really liked spending time with him, but she also knew she wasn’t ready for anything more serious, and she had simply refused to go any further physically when she knew that the relationship wouldn’t go any further emotionally.

But despite her initial reservations about his feelings and her hesitation because of her own inexperience relative to his, as they grew closer emotionally, Rose often found herself contemplating what it would be like to be intimate with Scorpius, _to shag him._   And as she trusted him more and more, even the nagging question of how she would compare to the others that sometimes crept in had lessened.  She wasn’t able to pinpoint exactly when, but at some point very recently, she’d been forced to admit that the question had shifted from ‘if’ to ‘when,’ and as the days passed, her answer was leaning towards ‘sooner’ rather than ‘later.’

Rose shifted in her seat, pressing her knees tightly together as she tried to concentrate on stirring the potion counter-clockwise once, then clockwise twice, the pattern repeated once every ten minutes for an hour every twenty-two hours.  But concentration was nearly impossible with him _right there_ , with his thigh brushing against hers, with his taste still on her lips and his touch still freshly burned into her skin.  Flushed, she rested her elbow on the table, her chin on her palm as she watched him, unconsciously running her fingers along the edge of her bottom lip.  He was reading, the end of his quill between his teeth, a hand threaded through his hair, and she fought back a sigh.  _Damn it_ , she was distracted – and aroused – and the _last_ thing she wanted to do was study Ancient Runes or tend to that ridiculous potion.

Until the previous evening, they’d done nothing beyond very heavy snogging, their hands roaming over and just underneath their clothes.  But each time they touched, she ached for more, and she definitely wanted to feel more of him, but something – their location, time limitations, or just her not being ready to move forward – had always stopped them.

_But last night_ …Rose blushed as she recalled their post-patrol visit to the Room of Requirement, and how Scorpius had driven her nearly to the edge of reason as they ground against each other, she straddling his lap, her fingers running over his bare shoulders, he sucking through the very wet cotton of her bra, gripping her bum tightly.  How he’d brought her to her first non-solo orgasm when they both climaxed and she’d been overwhelmed by the utter brilliance of it – by the rush coursing through her, by the intensity in which he held her tightly against him and moaned her name.  How the first then led to a second once they’d ended up lying on the sofa with Scorpius lying over her, her fingernails digging into his arms as one hand moved over her bare chest and the other slid just under her skirt …

Rose nervously began tapping her quill against her parchment.  

“Stop it,” he mumbled without glancing up from his text.

Her eyebrows shot up.  “What?” she asked.  “Oh!  I was tapping again, wasn’t I?  Sorry.”

“You were, but I’m used to that.”  He flipped his quill towards her face, his eyes still trained on his book.  “I’m talking about that…that _thing_ you were doing with your lips.  Stop it.”

Rose stared at him with an amused look, continuing to tap her quill until he finally sighed and looked up at her.  “What?  Do you mean this?” she teased as she once again ran her ring finger along her bottom lip.

Her eyes were fixed upon his, which were glued to her mouth.  His breath caught when she licked her lips, and he slowly lifted his gaze to lock with hers – with a look that could only be described as desire.  _Yes_! Rose thought, pleased that she had been able to redirect his attention to her, that he seemed to be just as distracted as she was.  As his face neared hers, she closed her eyes, waiting for that wonderful moment when their lips connected – 

“Well, well.  And what do we have here?”

Rose’s eyes flew open, and she instinctively jerked back against her chair, doing everything in her power not to groan aloud or exhibit the look of utter disgust she felt at this precise moment as Professor Zabini sauntered through the room towards their table.  Scorpius, for his part, had donned his ‘amused, yet bored’ smirk – one of Rose’s favorites, actually – as he reclined slightly in his chair, exuding a casual assurance that she envied, especially in the face of confrontation.

“When I gave you special permission to brew your potion in this classroom, I don’t recall granting permission to use it as a playground for your extra-curricular activities, Miss Weasley,” Zabini said in a condescending tone.  “Do I need to revoke those privileges?”

Biting back every foul word that was running through her head about Pansy Zabini and where she could shove her wand, Rose managed to take a deep breath and muttered through clenched teeth, “No, Professor.”  She looked at her watch; only two more minutes until she’d completed her last set of stirs for the day.

Zabini turned to Scorpius.  “And Mr. Malfoy, I wasn’t aware that you required additional classroom time for your potion.  Or perhaps you are simply brewing Miss Weasley’s for her?”

He chuckled.  “No, that isn’t necessary.  I believe Miss Weasley does just fine on her own, Professor.”

“Then why, may I ask, are you here, Mr. Malfoy?”

Rose had often wondered whether it was because her son was Scorpius’s best friend or because her husband and Scorpius’s dad were business partners so he’d been subjected to her his whole life, but whatever it was, she’d always felt a great deal of admiration for Scorpius’s abilities to keep his cool in the face of Zabini’s snarkiness, a feat that Rose herself had never fully managed.  A comment such as _that_ , directed at her, and in _that_ particular tone, would most likely have resulted in Rose making some snide remark in reply and most assuredly ending up in detention again.

Scorpius, on the other hand, simply offered Zabini an amused smile.  “Since she’s accompanying me to see Professor Longbottom at four, we thought we’d use this time beforehand to study for Runes.”

Zabini glanced down at his book then back up at him.  “Mmm,” she replied noncommittally, her eyebrow arched, and a smug sneer on her lips as she fixed her gaze upon Rose.  “I suggest next time you find somewhere other than my classroom to _study Runes_.  Are we understood?”

“Certainly, Professor,” Scorpius agreed his most annoyingly smooth tone.  Rose, on the other hand, was seething inside and managed only to nod.  She was able to hold her temper in check due only to the desire not to test her mum’s recent threats with respect to getting any more detentions this term and the absolute certainty that if she said what she really wanted to say to her professor, she would not be going to Hogsmeade the following weekend.  

Taking a deep breath, she stirred the potion once more as required, packed away her belongings, and stood to go, all under the infuriatingly smug gaze of Zabini.  Scorpius, however, was taking his time, casually looking at his watch before leisurely gathering his books, and Rose had to fight laughing aloud at his obvious attempts to goad their professor or his apparent success judging by the look of sheer and utter irritation on her face.

When he was finally finished, Zabini gestured towards the door.  “I presume you _do_ know your way to Longbottom’s office, Mr. Malfoy.  And you as well, Miss Weasley, considering I have personally sent you there a time or two myself.”  

Rose’s fury was reaching its peak, and it barely registered when Scorpius took her by the hand, wished Zabini a ‘most pleasant good evening’ in his silky-smooth drawl, and led her out of the classroom.  

They just managed to get to the stairs to the main floor before she exploded.  “Oh my god!  How I despise that woman!  What the hell is up her arse?  ‘I don’t recall authorizing extra-curricular activities, Miss Weasley,’” Rose imitated exaggeratedly as she stormed up the stairs and down the corridor towards Neville’s office.  “’Perhaps you’re brewing Miss Weasley’s potion for her, Mr. Malfoy.  Good thing; otherwise it would be rubbish.’”  Rose rolled her eyes.  “She is in serious need of a potion or something to loosen up.  How anyone could ever possibly li–”

Whatever else she was going to say about Pansy Zabini was lost as Scorpius grabbed her arm, swung her around, and pressed his mouth against hers and her back against the wall, his hands delving into her hair.  

“Why did you do that?” she mumbled when they broke apart for air.

“Thought it might help,” he breathed heavily in her ear.

“Don’t do that to me.” 

“Do what?” he asked against her neck.  “This?”  He ran his tongue along the slope before sucking on the skin just behind her ear.

Rose shuddered at the dual stimulation of his hot, wet mouth against her skin, and the déjà vu of this conversation wasn’t lost on her.  “No,” she whispered, even as she arched her neck to give him a full range of access.  “Don’t kiss me like that.”

Scorpius stopped his delicious torture of her neck and pulled back to look at her, a very puzzled expression on his face.  “Why not?”

“It’s disrespectful.”

“It’s disrespectful for me to snog you?”

Rose crossed her arms across her chest and scowled, her eyes narrowing at his amused chuckle.  “It is when you do it only to shut me up,” Rose glared.  “I’ve seen my dad do it to my mum.  She thinks it’s funny, but I…I’ve always thought it rather rude.” 

“I promise that I would _never_ kiss you for the sole purpose of distracting you,” Scorpius said seriously.  He tugged on an arrant curl, his fingers brushing her cheek, and it took a tremendous amount of resolve on her part not to lean her head into his hand.  “Very few things in this life measure up to kissing you.  It ranks right up there with Quidditch and Ogden’s Finest.”

She snorted, giving him what she hoped was an affronted look as she felt her irritation wane slightly.  “You’re comparing snogging me to flying and drinking Firewhisky?  I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“You’ve done both, so you should know it’s a compliment,” he replied, his lips starting at her ear and moving down her jaw line, his hands drifting to her hips, his thumbs sliding under her jumper and skimming the bare skin just above her waistband.  “Kissing you is exhilarating like flying and intoxicating like Firewhisky.”

Rose retaliated, sliding her arms around his waist, her own fingers pressing into his bare skin just above the waistband of his trousers.

“Addictive,” he murmured softly, moving closer to her lips.  “I can’t get enough … snogging you always leaves me wanting you more.”

The words were on her lips – _yes, I love you, I want more_ – but his mouth was on hers, his tongue deep in her mouth before she could speak.  So she said them with her kisses and caresses and movements.

Rose felt as if her body was on fire.  His breath was hot against her neck, and his hands were hot against her incredibly flushed skin.  Without even thinking about it, Rose grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him closer before clutching his face between her hands.  As she had often over the past several weeks, she relished the fact that she and Scorpius snogged just like they did everything else – competitively and purposefully.

Her head fell backwards, her eyes falling shut, and her hands slid under his shirt and up his back.  She was losing herself in the sensations of his tongue swirling at the base of her throat, and his hands dancing up her sides, and his leg shifting between hers when she was yanked into reality again by someone clearing his throat and two words, spoken in a surprised, almost stern voice.

“Hullo Rose.”

_Oh my god, someone just kill me now!_ Rose wanted to scream as her eyes jerked open and she spun around to come face to face with one of the few people capable of striking fear in her heart with a glance.

“Um … hullo, Auntie Ginny.”

Auntie Ginny arched an eyebrow, her eyes drifting down to Scorpius’s hands on Rose’s ribcage before returning to Rose’s very flushed face.

Neville cleared his throat again.  “So, you’ll give my regards to Harry, won’t you,” he said to Auntie Ginny who nodded with a quick peck on the cheek.  

“And ours to Lavender.”  

Neville removed his hand from Auntie Ginny’s arm and fixed his eyes upon Scorpius.  “This way, Mr. Malfoy,” he gestured to his door before turning to Rose and adding, “We shouldn’t be too long.”  

Rose watched as Neville ushered Scorpius into his office before chancing a look at Auntie Ginny, who waited until the door shut before speaking.

“Well, that was a bit of a shock.”

Rose was mortified.  She could not believe that she’d been caught in such a compromising position not only by one of her professors who may as well be family, but also _by her aunt_ of all people.  Yes, she was of age, but the adults in her family had an uncanny ability of making her feel perpetually ten years old, and it was simply humiliating to have been caught with her hands up her boyfriend’s shirt and his mouth on her neck, no matter who that boyfriend happened to be.  “I…uh…I’m so sorry.  I…we got carried away and…I just never expected –”

“To be caught snogging outside Neville’s office by your aunt?” Auntie Ginny supplied.  “I imagine not.”

Rose blanched and a knot formed in her stomach.

Her aunt’s lips curled into a knowing smile.  “It’s all right, Rose,” she said, chuckling.  “You are of age, after all.  And believe me, you weren’t doing anything that wasn’t done by most of us when we were your age.”  She paused and her smile disappeared.  “I’m a little surprised at your choice in _friends_ , though.  ScorpiusMalfoy?”

“Yes,” Rose replied defensively, her arms crossed in defiance over her chest.  _Here it goes_ , she thought, taking a deep breath.  She hadn’t missed the look in Auntie Ginny’s eyes, and Rose readied herself for whatever she was going to say.

“Rather odd that your parents haven’t mentioned you were dating him.”

“Well, I haven’t exactly told them yet,” Rose admitted quietly, her gaze not wavering.

“I see,” Auntie Ginny nodded curtly.  “Is _this_ the secret that Lily has been forbidden to share with me?”

“Yes,” she admitted stubbornly.  _Damn it, Lily!_   _You promised!  Just wait until I get my hands on you…_   “But only because I didn't think it would be something that I wanted to share in an owl.  And since I wouldn’t be seeing them until Easter, I asked her not to tell.”

Auntie Ginny pursed her lips.  “Has he told his parents?”

Rose shook her head.

Her aunt let out a deep breath and stared at her for a moment.  “How long have you been seeing each other?”

“About six weeks now.  Since just after Christmas hols.”

Auntie Ginny shook her head.  “I can see why you might have wanted to wait, but if you’re getting seriously involved with him, and judging by what Neville and I interrupted that appears to be the case, the two of you need to tell everyone.  Keeping it a secret is not a wise choice.  This news will be a shock, and it will only be worse if they find out from someone else.”

“But I can’t tell them in an owl!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Auntie Ginny said in that patronizing mum voice that all the women in Rose’s family had perfected and it just infuriated Rose more.

“Is not.”  Rose snorted sarcastically.  “Oh, I know Mum’ll eventually be okay with it once she’s spent the better part of the week giving me about a hundred different reasons why we’re a terrible match.  But Dad...”  She rolled her eyes.  “He’s so mental about my having a boyfriend anyway, no matter who it is.  And of course, Scorpius isn’t just _anyone_ , is he?  He’s Draco Malfoy’s son, and all of you, especially Dad it seems, _despise_ Draco Malfoy, don’t you?  So, yeah…I figured it would be better to tell him something like this in person.”

“Why do you underestimate your dad, Rose?” Auntie Ginny replied quietly, her eyes narrowing dangerously, and Rose almost wished that her aunt would scream rather than look at her like that.  “He’s forgiving enough to see the good in people, even those that he doesn’t particularly like.  And he loves you very much, so he’ll respect your opinion, even if he doesn’t agree with it.  But you aren’t even giving him the chance.”

She paused and fixed Rose with a stare reminiscent of Gran.  “As his daughter, you of all people know that the one thing my brother values above all else is trust.  And you’re going to lose his if you aren’t careful, all to protect yourself from what will be an unpleasant situation for a little while.”

Rose felt the knot rise into her throat.  On the one hand, she was insulted – who the hell was Auntie Ginny to insinuate that she didn’t know her parents and how best to handle them in this situation?  But on the other hand, she knew her aunt had a point – her parents would interpret her not telling them as tantamount to lying.

Rose felt a bit of her righteous indignation slip into a harsh resignation.  She’d known all along that this wouldn’t be easy.  Their families had too many issues that she just didn’t understand; too many issues that none of them had ever bothered to fully disclose to either Rose or Scorpius.

“I’ve heard them talk about the Malfoys over the years…and not just them, but all of you,” Rose was pointedly.  “I know there are bad feelings from when you were all in school together, but how can you all still hate each other after so many years?”

Auntie Ginny took a deep breath.  “Hate is an awfully strong word.”  She paused, a pensive look crossing her face.  “And it’s not _entirely_ accurate.  But there are things that you don’t know –”

“Then tell me!” Rose implored.  “Just explain it to me.”

“I think that’s a conversation you need to have with your parents, not me.”

“Of course,” Rose muttered as she looked away, frustrated tears stinging her eyes.  “I don’t…why does this has to be so complicated –”

“You had to know there would be repercussions from dating him, Rose,” Auntie Ginny said sympathetically.  “And as rough as it will be for our family to accept initially,” she let out a loud sigh, “ours will be a picnic compared to the reaction he’ll get from his.”

Rose nodded, not even sure she _could_ speak if she wanted to.  Her aunt’s point was well taken.  As much as she and Scorpius had enjoyed the past six weeks, they’d purposely ignored that Easter Break was fast approaching, and the time was coming when they could no longer hide behind their idyllic existence at Hogwarts.  If they wanted to stay together – and they agreed that they did – then they would have to come clean to their parents, something neither of them was much looking forward to.  And Scorpius had wholeheartedly agreed that they not tell their parents until the break; although he’d never come right out and admitted it, Rose understood that he was probably more apprehensive about admitting to his father that he was dating the daughter of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger than she was about admitting to any Weasley that she was dating him.

“Don’t look so worried, dear.  It will all work itself out,” Auntie Ginny said finally.

“It has to,” Rose whispered, wiping away a single escaped tear.  “Because I…I really, _really_ like him, Auntie Ginny.”

Her aunt smiled and brushed the hair from her forehead, cupping her cheek.  “I know you do.  James has mentioned him several times; says he’s ‘an outstanding bloke’ and Harry has commented on several occasions that he’s an excellent Quidditch player, so I’m sure he’ll fit in fine if you bring him around.”

Rose bit her nail nervously.  “Auntie Ginny…I still need to keep this a secret…”  She ignored the disappointment evident in her aunt’s eyes.  “For now?  Please?  It’s only three more weeks.  Let me tell them at Easter.”

Auntie Ginny crossed her arms and sighed.  “I won’t tell them anything on my own.  But if either asks me outright, I won’t lie.”

Rose let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding and she smiled uneasily.  “Thank you.”  Even though she was no longer feeling defensive or angry, she was really ready for this conversation to be over and for Auntie Ginny to leave.

As if sensing Rose’s thoughts, Auntie Ginny looked at her watch.  “I’d better be off if I want to see Lily and the boys before I leave.”  She glanced once more at Rose.  “Please think about what I’ve said.”

Rose nodded.  “I will,” she replied, knowing full well that she had no intention of doing so.Auntie Ginny shook her head and muttered, “Stubborn children…falling upon deaf ears.”  She cleared her throat and pulled Rose into a brief but heart-felt hug.  “Take care of yourself, dear.” 

Rose didn’t feel that she was expected to reply, so she simply nodded against Auntie Ginny’s shoulder as they hugged.  

Strong arms slid around her from behind as she watched Ginny turn the far corner.  

“Everything okay?” Scorpius whispered in her ear.  

“I guess,” Rose sighed, leaning back against him and breathing in his scent.  “She promised she wouldn’t say anything before we’ve had a chance to.”

He planted a tender kiss against her neck.  “Professor Longbottom promised to be discrete, too.”

She gasped.  “Oh god!  I didn’t even think about Neville.  If he tells Lavender…” 

“He won’t,” Scorpius laughed softly, his arms tightening around her waist.  “I told you, I took care of it.”

“My knight,” she smiled softly as she turned in his arms and pressed a quick kiss against his lips, her hands resting on his chest.  

“So what happened with your aunt?”

Rose sighed.  “Lots that I don’t feel like rehashing right now.”  She slid her hands over his shoulders and around his neck, crushing her body against his.  “Do you mind? I _really_ don’t feel like talking at all.”

“No,” Scorpius replied, pulling her closer, his words almost a whisper.  “I don’t mind.”  

Rose closed her eyes as his lips touched hers, and she lost herself in the moment, all the while wishing that time could stand still and the inevitable wouldn’t have to happen. 


	5. Chapter 5

** Chapter 5 **

“Damn it, Saturday is _never_ going to get here,” Hugo complained to Fred, who agreed with a ‘no shit’ and a nod.  “First thing, I’m going to Wheezes and stocking up, even before I go to Honeydukes.  I’m out of snackboxes, and I am _dying_ to try out those new shields – anything that’ll force Goldstein to shut it during D.A., the bloody tosser.”  He frowned.  “I still can’t believe your dad wouldn’t send us freebies this time.  It just _figures_ that my dad no longer has samples when I need them.”

“It’s Mum’s fault,” Fred scoffed.  “ _She_ decided it was _too_ _distracting_ to send them to us.  Convinced Dad I’d be tempted to skive off class or studying or something to try out the new line.”

“Well, he could’ve sent them to _me_ ,” Hugo argued.  “I don’t have O.W.L.s to worry about this year.”

“I tried that, believe me.  But Mum said sending them to you was the same as sending them to me.”

“Your mum is barking mad, you know that, right?”

Fred laughed.  “Your dad’s always said so, otherwise she wouldn’t have married Dad, right?”  He grinned widely and winked at the Fat Lady.  “Hi’ya Beautiful.  How about a ‘gillywater’ just for me, in honor of our upcoming Hogsmeade weekend?”

Rose shook her head as she followed behind them through the opened portrait hole, unable to help listening to their conversation as her brother and cousin continued into the Common Room, both of them completely oblivious to her presence.  Of course, _she_ wasn’t surprised in the least that Auntie Katie refused to send Fred, and by extension, Hugo, anything from the shop.  From the stories they’d grown up with, they all imagined – and her grandparents insisted often – that her cousin Fred was like his namesake in many ways, and his mum knew better than anyone not to provide him with things that might sidetrack him or otherwise interfere with his O.W.L.s, or to allow Uncle George to either, for that matter.  

Once inside, she scanned the room until she found just the person she was looking for.  He looked up from the book on his lap as she approached and smiled, moving over on the couch to make room for her.

Rose rather unceremoniously dropped her book bag and flopped onto the couch next to him with a sigh.  “I’ve had it.  I’m divorcing the whole family!”

Al chuckled.  “Didn’t you try that once already?  When you were ten, and Lora and Therese wouldn’t let you hang out with them anymore because you hadn’t started Hogwarts yet?”  His face distorted into an exaggeratedly sad face.  “Besides, how can you divorce me?  Then who would you complain to?  I have to tell you, I’m hurt, Rosie...I thought I meant something to you.”

“Oh, ha ha,” she replied with a sarcastic smirk.  “You know what I mean.”  She paused and glanced at the fireplace before turning back to Al.  “Don’t you ever get tired of…” she gestured towards the other side of the Common Room where Hugo and Fred now sat horsing around with a group of fourth and fifth year boys, “I don’t know…of everyone just _knowing_ everything?  Of everyone having an opinion about every little thing?  Of not having any privacy at all?”

“Well, sure,” Al shrugged, “but it’s not as if I’d have any privacy even if the family wasn’t so nosy.  I mean, come on… _Harry Potter’s son_?  I think my privacy issues go way beyond the family.  Yours too.”  He looked puzzled.  “What’s going on with you tonight?  You’re late – I thought maybe you’d decided to skip dinner again – and judging from your hair, I can guess why.”

Rose chuckled half-heartedly and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Real mature, Rosie,” he laughed.  “And speaking of family, Mum was here, to bring something to Neville.  Too bad you missed her –”

“No, I saw her.” 

“Really?  She didn’t mention she saw you.”

“Well, that’s no real surprise, although I suppose I’m relieved,” Rose muttered, crossing her arms across her chest, her gaze drifting back to the fireplace.

“I think I’ve missed something here.”

Rose sighed heavily before facing him again.  “She knows, Al.  About me going out with Scorpius.” 

His eyes widened in surprise.  “How?  Oh!  Shit, Rosie.  She didn’t…”

Rose nodded.  “Oh yeah.  And it was just as humiliating as you can imagine.”

“Where were you?” he asked, looking torn between laughter and horror.

“In the corridor outside Neville’s office,” she admitted, shaking her head.  Her cheeks burned as she imagined the sight herself, how she must have looked with her head thrown back and her eyes closed, and Scorpius sucking on her throat as his hands slid up her ribcage...

“Pity you were in the corridor…Why didn’t you just go into the classroom?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she felt just a tinge of anger rising.  “Oh, I hadn’t meant to…and like you always slip off, do you?”  She rolled her eyes.  “It was just...besides, how the hell was I to know that _your mum_ would suddenly appear outside Neville’s office?”

“So, how did she take it?  What did she say?”

“Well, after she got over her initial disappointment _in my choices_ , she told me everyone _might_ welcome him.  Eventually.  You know, since he’s a good Quidditch player and he has _James’s_ seal of approval.”  She sighed loudly.  “And then she called me ridiculous for not telling Mum and Dad.  Said that I should’ve told them before now and waiting will only make it worse.  Oh, and that _I don’t understand_ , and that I’m _underestimating_ Dad, and that I should just trust both of them not to over-react.”  Rose huffed, her frustration building again as she recounted her confrontation with Ginny.  “I mean, _come on._ I should’ve told them in an owl?And I should trust them not to over-react?  Does she _even_ _know_ my parents?”

Al snickered, and Rose rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.  “I can just see it all now.”  She sat forward and continued, mockingly, “Dear Mum and Dad, How are things?  Peachy?  Grand.  School is fine.  Oh, and I’ve got news.  Guess what?  I’m going out with Scorpius Malfoy.  Yeah, that’s right, the one who you are constantly egging me on about beating at everything…and oh yes, I can’t forget…the same Scorpius Malfoy whose dad none of you can stand, as we’re reminded every single time his name comes up.  Well, that’s it.  Just thought you ought to know.  Love you much, Rosie.”  She let out a deep breath and looked at Al imploringly.  “I mean, _seriously_ , Al, do you blame me?”

“Well, yeah, I’d say you’d get quite a response from _that_ ,” he chuckled before taking a more serious tone.  “But no, I don’t blame you.  I don’t know what Mum was on about, but I’ve never heard any of them say one good thing about Scorpius’s dad other than the fact that he married Scorpius’s mum.”  

“And there’s just so much that they’ve never told me about when they were younger.  Stuff that Auntie Ginny says I need to just ask them about.  Like why they dislike the Malfoys so much.  You don’t know, do you?”

“Not really,” Al replied, looking pensive.  “I know none of them liked Scorpius’s dad when they were in school together.  And that he hated them, too.  But otherwise, no.  I’ve just always heard what an arse he was.”

Rose rolled her eyes.  “Yeah, mine have said that much, too.  But…that can’t be it.  Surely they haven’t held a grudge over school stuff for twenty-five years.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Rose,” Al reasoned.  “If there was really bad blood between them, it’s possible.  And don’t forget, Granddad _really_ hates his grandfather…don’t you remember the time he let is slip that he’d punched him at Flourish  & Blotts once?” 

Rose giggled.  “Oh yeah.  And Gran was so furious that he’d told us.  Said he was setting a horrid example for his grandchildren and that she’d never been so mortified as having to watch Hagrid pull _her husband_ off him like some child instead of a grown man.”

“And then Granddad said it was one of his proudest moments,” Al chuckled.  “Gran nearly split a gut.”

“Dad said it was one of his, too, watching Granddad go after him,” Rose added.  “Said it was a banner day for the entire Weasley family.”  She looked down at her hands.  “Your mum reckons his family will take it worse than ours even.”  

Al nodded.  “Yeah, probably.  I mean, I don’t know a lot about Scorpius’s family, but ours is a lot more bark than bite.  Besides, all us kids like Scorpius and once they get used to the idea, I think most everyone else will be fine with him.”  He nudged her elbow with his.  “That is, if it ever gets to the point that you might bring him around.”

Rose blushed.  “I think it already has.”

“Thought so,” Al nodded with a smile.  “Although I had to wonder since getting caught in the act has been the kiss of death for any of your past relationships.”

“That’s not true!” she insisted, even as she looked away, knowing Al was right.  But with Scorpius, those formerly important ‘rules’ of hers no longer seemed to apply.  “Well, not entirely true anyway.”

Al kicked her foot dangling over the edge of the couch.  “I’m kidding, Rosie.  I know what it’s like to…you know…really care.”  He blushed and looked down at his book, a silly grin on his face.

“Yeah,” Rose said softly.  “It changes everything.”

Al nodded, his eyes serious as he leaned in and lowered his voice.  “But we’re lucky, aren’t we?  Having the family we do.  It can’t be easy for him, though, knowing that his grandfather was a Death Eater.  And his grandmother’s sister was Bellatrix Lestrange.”  He was hesitant for a moment.  “Does he ever talk about it?”

Rose shook her head, also leaning in.  “No.  Never about that.  We’ve talked about our families, but it’s mainly been about ours – what they’re all like, what it’s like with so many of us – because he really doesn’t understand how we’re all so close or why we spend so much time together.  It’s just so different for him, being an only child, and his dad being an only child.  His mum has a brother and a sister, but none of them are particularly close.  And even though he has three cousins, they live in Denmark, so he doesn’t see them often.  Besides, they’re all so much younger than him – I think the oldest just started Durmstrang last term – so he doesn’t have anything in common with them.”

She shifted in her seat.  “As for his immediate family, we really don’t talk much about them either.  I mean, he talks about his parents some, but it’s usually when he’s had an owl from them.  His mum’s parents died when he was little, so he rarely mentions them.  And I can only remember him saying anything about his dad’s parents once, when he told me the Firebolt had been a Christmas present from them two years ago.”

Al shook his head.  “I can’t even imagine what that’s like, can you?  I’d hate it.”

“Yeah, I guess I would, too,” Rose conceded.  “As much as I might hate everyone knowing everything, I think it would be awful not to have anybody.”  She grabbed his hand.  “And what would I do without you?”

“I dunno…drive someone else barmy?” he laughed, squeezing her hand.

She pulled away and swatted his arm.  “Prat.”

“Brat.”  He laughed and she groaned.

“Don’t you start with that, too.  It’s bad enough to endure it from James.”

“But if the shoe fits…” Al smirked before teasingly kicking her foot again.  “Now shut it so I can finish this before dinner.”

Rose shook her head and laughed softly as Al returned to his book, and she turned to watch the flames flare and dance.

Her parents didn’t like to talk about the war, and as far as she knew, none of her aunts and uncles did either, at least not to their Hogwarts-aged children.  Oh, they all knew the basics…about the blood wars and the trials and the horrible persecutions.  And the history books were complete with the names of all the antagonists who’d died or been imprisoned in Azkaban:  Voldemort, Umbridge, Lestrange, Carrow.  Plus, she’d heard enough through the years to know that the Malfoys, Scorpius’s grandparents, had been among the Death Eaters when the Battle began but that at some point, they’d sort of defected, or at least not fought on behalf of Voldemort, and that was how they’d escaped Azkaban, although there were also the rumblings that if they’d not been so wealthy, it might’ve been different.

And of course, everyone knew the final outcome – how her Uncle Harry, with the help of her parents and the rest of her family and Neville and the D.A. and the Order and the house elves along with many, many others – had defeated Voldemort and his followers in the Battle of Hogwarts twenty-five years ago in May.  How they’d lost Uncle Fred and Teddy’s parents and too many others who were now honored as heroes in the cause.  

It was, after all, the stuff legends were made of.

But that was the extent, really, that she, Hugo, or her closest cousins knew.  Their parents were unusually tight-lipped about it all – even Rose’s mum who was generally very eager to share any sort of knowledge with her children – and Uncle Harry had consistently refused the Ministry’s attempts to make a fuss over him year after year, relenting this year only because it was the twenty-fifth anniversary, and, according to her dad, Minister Shacklebolt had literally begged.

Rose wasn’t really surprised at their reluctance to relive those memories.  She could only imagine how awful living through those times were.  And she was really thankful that although they were still present on varying levels, most of the prejudices and hatreds had dissipated over the last quarter-century, and she and her generation were spared a lot of the intolerances that her parents’ generation had faced.  

And even though she hadn’t been made privy to the details, she understood that they had overcome a lot and persevered but that they all held scars that would never fully heal.  She recalled with a shiver the night only a couple of years ago that she’d snuck downstairs for a drink and unwittingly witnessed her mum consoling her dad as he sat at the edge of his favorite chair – that same comfy chair that Rose had curled up with him in every night with a book before she left for Hogwarts – with her mum standing in front of him, his forehead resting against her stomach, his hands wrapped tightly around her, her hands stroking his hair.  And the sight of her big, strong, incredibly brave, seemingly unshakeable dad weeping and clutching her mum as if his life depended upon it as he muttered something about werewolves and someone called ‘Greyback’ was a sight that Rose knew she would never forget.

She hugged herself, a sudden chill rushing through her despite the warmth of the fire that she felt on her face.  Yes, Auntie Ginny was right.  She really needed to talk to her parents.  She knew they would undoubtedly be shocked and not altogether happy with her decisions, but she also knew that they loved her, and they really just wanted her to be happy.  _And they’re understanding and compassionate people, so they have to give him a chance, don’t they?_   But she wasn’t going to change her mind about telling them in person.  No matter what Auntie Ginny thought, Rose knew her parents well, and the best way to do it was in person, as she’d planned, at Easter.  And thankfully, she had four more weeks to work out what she’d say and try to come up with a logical and somewhat calm retort to anything they might say.  And in the meantime, she had at least one trip to Hogsmeade to enjoy first.

* * * 

Rose glanced around cautiously, wishing she had access to the Map or the invisibility cloak that James had hidden in his trunk and had never let any of them borrow.  It wasn’t as if she hadn’t snuck out after curfew before, but since this had become a weekly occurrence, she was afraid that someone might’ve figured it out.  And the last thing she wanted was to get detention the night before Hogsmeade, but the lure had been too great, and she couldn’t resist risking it.

She stopped at the door and whispered “Eucalyptus.”  With one last sweep of the corridor to ensure no one had seen her, she quickly slipped inside.  

The room was only half-lit, the candles along the far wall casting just enough light for her to see.  She crossed to the tub and began running the water, adding in her favorite jasmine bubble bath.  As it filled, she slipped out of her dressing gown and nightgown, carefully folding them and laying two fluffy towels at the edge before sliding into the hot water.  

She closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath.  _Oh yeah_ , she thought, this was worth the risk.  She’d started this Friday evening ritual five weeks ago upon the advice of her mum who subscribed whole-heartedly to the benefits of aromatherapy and relaxation in dealing with stress, and Rose had been delighted to discover that, of course, her mother had been right.  Unfortunately, her allotted hour per week in the prefects’ bathroom was entirely insufficient, so Rose had used the Map and snuck down that first time, spending almost two hours just soaking and breathing and letting go of her anxieties.  And now she looked forward to this time alone, when everyone else would be in bed, and she would have no limitations on her time, nor was she required to think about anything except herself.

But tonight, her thoughts were focused entirely upon Scorpius as she slipped underneath the bubbles and into the water.  She swam lazily across the tub before resting against the side nearest the door, only her head above the water as she laid back and looked at the ceiling.  She was excited about their Hogsmeade visit but a part of her wished they weren’t going.  Since it was the first one of the term, every third-year and up that she knew was going, so the castle would be nearly deserted.  And that would allow them time entirely alone, which Rose had to admit she craved more than the chocolate frogs she wanted to replenish.  

The friendship that they’d shared for six years had grown into something she’d never expected.  She’d been attracted to him, sure, and enjoyed spending time with him, but now it was more.  And she could no longer deny it – she didn’t fancy Scorpius, she loved him.  She’d almost let it slip more than once, had the words on the tip of her tongue, but thankfully hadn’t.  She still wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about her, and she didn’t want to spill her secret if he didn’t feel the same.

Of course, she _knew_ he fancied her, that he cared about and was attracted to her.  But was it more for him?  She thought so, at times, when he’d look at her as if he adored her, or he’d touch her with a tenderness that _just couldn’t_ be faked.  But her cautious side was afraid to believe it, and unless or until she heard the words from him, she wouldn’t let him know how deeply she felt or how much she wanted more.

Rose only hoped that he didn’t break her heart.

She was beginning to really relax when she heard the door creak open.  She jerked her head up, about to slide back under the water when she heard his voice quietly behind her.  “Aha!  Looks like you’ve been caught.”

“Scorpius!” she hissed, turning around, careful not to let any part of her body come out of the water.  “What are you doing here?”  Her eyes widened as he took a step away from the door towards her.  “And don’t you dare come over here!”

He laughed and stepped back, his deep voice resonating off the walls.  “I could ask you the same thing.  I believe you’re out past curfew, Miss Weasley.  I wonder if I need to take points from Gryffindor…or not…if you can convince me otherwise.”

“What do you propose, Mr. Malfoy?” Rose asked, noting the teasing in his voice.  “Maybe I should offer to do your homework for you for a month, considering how pathetic you are in your classes?  Or teach you how to fly since you are obviously lacking in those skills?”

“I assure you, I’m not lacking in any of my skills,” he replied, and a wave of desire swept through her even as she blushed and thought, _Someday soon_ _I’m going to confirm that personally_. 

Aloud she simply said, “I’ll take your word on that,” flashing him a mischievous grin.  “Now, once again, why are you here?”  

“I was looking for you, why else?”

Rose was surprised.  “But how did you know _I_ was here?”

Scorpius grinned.  “I know lots of interesting things, you’ll find.”  He chuckled at her raised eyebrow.  “Oh, stop looking at me like that.  I overheard you telling Ellie that you’d been down here the past several weeks and that she should give it a try sometime.”

“Oh,” Rose replied.  “So you’ve found me.  What’s so important that you’ve chased me down to the prefects’ bathroom?  You could’ve caught me changing or something.”

He winked.  “I was willing to take that chance.”

“I’ll bet you were,” she replied sarcastically.  “Well?”

He shifted uncomfortably against the door.  “I think I need you out of the tub and dressed before we continue this.  I’m having trouble keeping myself focused on anything other than the fact that you are just over there and naked underneath those bubbles.  

“You came looking for me _in the bathroom_ , _knowing_ I’d come to take a bath – what did you expect?” Rose laughed. 

“I knew what to expect,” Scorpius said softly, “I just didn’t realize how much it would affect me or how hard it would be to concentrate with you …”  He took a deep breath.  “So, I’ll slip outside and wait for you, okay?”

“Wait,” she called as he reached for the door handle.  “You can’t go out there – what if someone sees you?  Just turn around and face the door.  I promise I’ll hurry.  Let me rinse off first.”  She dipped back under the water and then back out, her hair slicked back.  “Okay.  Turn around now.”

He nodded, and she heard him groan as he did what she asked and turned around, dipping his head and resting his hands and forehead against the wall.  She climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel, flipping her hair into the other before drying off and dressing as quickly as she could.  

She opened her mouth to speak as she pulled her dressing gown closed and knotted the belt, but the sight of him stopped her.  His head was bowed, and he was shifting his weight from one leg to the other, his dark green dressing gown stretched tightly across his back.  One of his hands was pressed against the wall, but the other was in his hair, as it often was, she’d learned, when he was frustrated or angry.  Her mouth closed and she stealthily moved toward him.

“I’m finished,” she said quietly against his shoulder as her arms came around his waist and her hands slid up his chest.  She felt him jump slightly and heard his sharp intake of breath, and she couldn’t resist pressing a wet kiss against his neck.  “Now tell me, what was so important that you snuck up here and got me out of the tub rather than wait until morning?”

“Rose,” Scorpius whispered as he turned around in her arms, his eyes bearing into hers intently, his hands resting loosely upon her hips.  And then his mouth was on hers, and his lips slid across hers sensually, pulling her lips between them.  His hands moved up and down her sides, almost in rhythm with his lips, but he didn’t pull her closer; instead, it was she who deepened the kiss, linking her arms tightly around his neck and pressing her whole body against his.  All thoughts, other than the fact that she was kissing him and they were alone and they had all night, fled from her mind.

Rose no longer cared why he was there, only that he was.  And she made a decision that she was tired of waiting and _the time_ had come.

Without breaking their kiss, she pulled back just enough to grasp his hands and move them to the knot at her waist before moving to the knot at his waist.  Scorpius groaned into her mouth as he fingered the knot momentarily but did not untie it.  But when her hands slid inside his open dressing gown and across his bare stomach, he grasped her wrists to stop her movements and tore his lips from hers, leaning his forehead against hers.  Her eyes flew open, but his were still closed and his breathing was heavy.  

“Rose…I can’t do this…we have to stop.”

She was completely at a loss – and she felt like an utter fool – as a hundred thoughts ran through her mind.  She couldn’t have misjudged that he wanted to.  She’d felt how much he wanted her, there was absolutely no mistaking _that_.  So why then was he saying no?  Why was he turning her down?  Boys were always supposed to want sex, weren’t they?  How could she have offered herself to him so brazenly, only to have him reject her?  Especially when he’d been with three other girls before her? 

She felt tears forming, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.  “I’m sorry,” she stammered, attempting to pull away from him.  “I thought you wanted to –”

“No, Rose,” he said pleadingly, refusing to let her go.  “You don’t understand.”  She felt his fingers caressing her cheek before he lifted her chin.  “Please.  Look at me.”

She slowly opened her eyes, willing herself not to cry.  The look of desperation in his eyes nearly took her breath away.

“I _do_ want to,” he whispered intently, his fingers moving gently over her cheek.  “ _Dear God_ , I want to more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.  But we…we can’t do it here.  I won’t.  It has to be special when we do, and shagging you against the wall or on the floor of the prefects’ bathroom isn’t it.”

He pressed a chaste, gentle kiss against her lips.  “You mean more to me than that, Rose.  Don’t you know that?  How can you not know that?”

Rose didn’t answer.  She wasn’t sure she could speak even if she wanted to, but she knew that if she did, the only words that would leave her lips were the words she had sworn not to say.  She wiped roughly at a few tears that had escaped.  

Scorpius took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair again.  “So,” he cleared his throat, “do you want…Can I walk you back?”

Rose shook her head and swallowed hard.  “No, that’s fine.  I’ll be fine,” she said softly, managing a small smile at the look of disappointment on his face.  

“All right.  I’ll just go back and let you finish up,” he said as he finally released her waist.  “Will you meet me for breakfast before we go in the morning?  Around eight?”

“Okay,” she answered, and with a quick peck against her lips, he opened the door and looked outside.  When he determined that there was no one watching, he turned back to her, whispered “good night,” and slipped out into the darkened corridor.

It was only after he left, when her head was flipped over, and she was using a drying charm on the underside of her hair, that she realized that he’d never told her what had he’d wanted in the first place.

* * * *

After a restless night, the following morning came early, and Rose groaned when her alarm clock went off at seven-thirty.  Why in the hell, she wondered, had she agreed to meet Scorpius for breakfast at eight?  What was the big deal about being in Hogsmeade by nine?  Did she really care that much about being one of the first to arrive?  And why didn’t she think about this last night when she was sneaking down to the fifth floor at midnight?

She told the alarm clock to “stuff it” and dragged herself out of bed.  None of her fellow sixth years were awake yet, so Rose quietly made her way to the bathroom they shared to get ready.  She slipped into the dark green jumper she’d received for Christmas and a pair of jeans, scrutinizing herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair into two messy plaits and deciding that the green really did look nice on her so she would forego anything besides a touch of the lip gloss that her Nana Granger had sent her.

As she made her way down to the Great Hall, she wondered if things would be awkward with Scorpius this morning.  Would he act differently?  Should she?  She’d lain awake for hours pondering what she’d proposed and what he’d said in response.  He’d certainly _sounded_ sincere in his explanation as to why he was turning her down flat.  And what he’d said was not only considerate but sensible.  When she thought about it, she really didn’t want to lose her virginity _in a bathroom_ of all places.

But her pride was still smarting more than a little from being turned down, so she was very pleased when she entered the Great Hall at just after eight, and as she made her way down the Slytherin table, she saw Scorpius’s gaze shift from her face and move down her body before returning to meet her eyes, an only slightly smug smile grazing his lips.

“Good morning,” he said as she sat down next to him, reaching down to squeeze her hand.  She smiled, relieved at his usual breakfast greeting, and squeezed back.  

“Well, it’s morning anyway,” she replied, unsuccessfully fighting a yawn as she glanced around the nearly empty Hall.  “Sorry.  Remind me again why we’re up so early.” 

“It was _your_ brilliant idea, remember?  _You_ wanted to be at McKelley’s first thing.  Something about that signed first edition of _Quidditch Through The Ages_ that came in, if I recall.”

Rose sighed.  “I know.  For Dad’s birthday.  I’m just wondering why when I could still be in bed.”  She took a sip of her coffee and picked at her toast.  “It isn’t as if they aren’t holding it for me.”

Scorpius nudged her.  “And you had absolutely no interest in just browsing, did you?”

“Oh, you either,” she giggled, knowing that Scorpius loved going to the old second-hand bookstore as much as she did, having spent several hours there together just browsing the last few times they’d had Hogsmeade trips.

“You think you know me so well, don’t you?” he teased.  “Maybe I’m more interested in Honeydukes this time.”

She gave him a bemused look.  “Hardly.  I know for a fact you don’t eat sweets.  I think I’ve only ever seen you with the coconut ice, in fact, and that was only once.”

“Shows what you know,” he smirked.  “I’ve been known to buy licorice wands and a chocolate frog or two.”

She blushed, remembering his owl over Christmas holidays with the chocolate frog cards of her parents enclosed inside.  “Yeah, okay,” she said, finishing off her breakfast.  “I need to stop by there, too.  But I promise not to make you take me to Madame Puddifoot’s.”

He grimaced.  “Oh thank Merlin.  I’ve never been there, and I’d hate to ruin my perfect record of Hogsmeade visits without going inside.”

Rose giggled somewhat uncomfortably.  She’d actually been there once, last year with Simon, but they’d both agreed that it had, in fact, been quite horrible, and she swore never again to step foot inside that place with its horrid pink tablecloths and those dreadful cherubs flying about.

He finished his porridge and downed the last of his coffee before standing and offering his hand.  “Ready?”

She took his hand and stood.  “Yeah.  Let’s go.”

She couldn’t help smiling when he didn’t release her hand, and it grew considerably when he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek just outside the door to the Great Hall.  And as they walked to Hogsmeade, the first ones it seemed, Rose’s smile widened even more as their conversations continued, and Scorpius made no mention of the embarrassing events of the previous night nor acted in any way other than his normally pompous, yet entirely irresistible, self.

* * * *

Three hours later, with a signed first-edition copy of _Quidditch Through The Ages_ in near mint condition along with eight other interesting-looking books between them in hand, Rose and Scorpius strolled leisurely to Honeydukes, purposefully avoiding Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes just two doors down.  Once inside, Rose made her way immediately to the chocolate frogs, picking up four boxes, each with twenty individual packages inside.

“Think that’ll be enough?” Scorpius laughed behind her.  “I’m not sure those’ll last you until our next visit.”

“Ha ha,” Rose giggled, trying to sound offended.  “You know these are my dad’s favorites.”

“Not only your dad’s favorites,” he muttered.  “Here, I’ll hold them.  Anything else?”

Rose scanned the shop and decided on several more items – many, she insisted, for her dad as belated birthday gifts – before finally calling it quits.  She pretended to ignore Scorpius who was unable to hide his amusement at her purchases, commenting that her mother would be _simply shocked_ if she knew the things Rose ate at school, all the while sporting her favorite ‘amused yet bored’ smirk, making her wonder if he knew just how much she liked it.

It took them some time to make it through the line for the cashier, but they eventually paid for their purchases – to Rose’s extreme consternation, Scorpius insisted upon buying her chocolate frogs himself – and after reducing everything into small, more manageable packages, they wound their way through the crowded store to the exit, greeting friends and at least two members of her family.  Rose felt Scorpius’s hand on her lower back as she led the way and the gesture made her feel tremendously grown-up.  

Just as they were stepping outside, Scorpius grabbed her arm and pulled her back underneath the awning.

“What’s wrong?”

He nodded towards the sky.  “Look.  It’s raining.  We need a shield charm –”

“Oh, come on,” Rose urged, pulling on his arm.  “It’s barely sprinkling.  We don’t need shield charms.”

Scorpius eyed her strangely.  “Are you joking?  Do you want to get wet?”

She laughed.  “It isn’t as though we’ll melt.”  She handed her packages to him, only vaguely noticing when he muttered ‘ _Reducio_ ’ and stuffed their things into his pockets, as she stepped out from underneath the awning, lifting her face towards the sky, and feeling a few drops of rain.  

“I love the rain,” she gushed.  “When I was little, I’d go out in the rain with my dad and we’d splash through the puddles in the street in front of our house.  And sometimes, at my grandparents’ house, we’d all go out and run and splash around in it.  And Gran would always have hot chocolate or hot tea ready when we came in, and instead of using a drying charm, we would wrap up in towels and sit in front of the fire.  Oh, and the Quidditch matches in the rain at the Burrow…they’ve always been the best.”

Without even thinking about what she was doing, Rose swung her arms out and began twirling around.  “Don’t you just love this?” she giggled as she spun, finally stopping when she started to feel dizzy, only to find Scorpius standing right in front of her, staring at her with an amused look, his damp hair falling into his face.  

She looked back at him, a wide smile still on her face.  “What?” she asked breathlessly.

“I never heard of anyone being so enamored with the rain,” he laughed.  “Especially a girl.  Aren’t you all supposed to flee from it, afraid it’ll mess with your hair or something?”

“Oh, as if anything could mess with this mop,” she laughed, flipping one of her plaits exaggeratedly.  “Besides, I’m not like other girls.”

“No,” he replied, his eyes boring into hers.  “You’re not _at all_ like other girls.”

Her breath caught as Scorpius’s fingers brushed against her cheek gently.  “So,” he cleared his throat, “where to now?”  He gestured down the street ahead of them.  “If you’re thirsty –”

“Actually, I…I think I want to go back to the castle.”

He looked surprised.  “Really?  Why?  We have all day.  Don’t you have anything else you’d like to do?”

Rose’s face lit up.  “Oh yes.  I have something I’d really like to do, but we can’t do it here.  I want to go back,” she pretended not to notice his eyebrow arched suggestively as she continued, “and I really want to go flying.  In the rain.  With you.  Because I’m guessing you never have.”

He fixed her with a puzzled gaze.  “Of course I’ve flown in the rain.  The Hufflepuff match last November –”

“No,” she giggled.  “That’s not _flying_ in the rain.  That’s _playing Quidditch_ in the rain.  There’s a huge difference.”

She threaded her arm inside his and led him quickly down the street, not caring that they were going to be completely soaked by the time they got back.  “There is something so carefree about being in the sky with the rain falling all around you.  With nothing to think about but how the rain feels on your face, and how alive you feel from the chill as you move through the air.”  She paused and took a deep breath, not meeting his eye.  “I want to fly with you, Scorpius.  Just the two of us…on your broomstick.  Will you do that with me?” 

She felt his eyes on her, and her cheeks burned again as she hoped she hadn’t sounded ridiculously silly.  When she finally met his gaze, she was taken aback at the look of amazement in them.

“Oh god,” she stammered.  “That was a stupid idea, wasn’t it?”

“No,” he said quietly as he shook his head.  “Not at all stupid.  It’s just …”

“What?” she repeated nervously.

“ _You_ ,” he replied, pulling her into his arms and kissing her quickly on the lips.  “You’re just so…you’re incredible, Rose Weasley,” he murmured against her lips.

She blushed and not entirely from the really romantic kiss in the rain out in the middle of the street where anyone, from her brother to her cousins to her Auntie Katie down the way at the shop, could see them.  He sounded so serious, so sincere, and she couldn’t help hoping that it meant he truly felt for her what she felt for him.

“You’re incredible, too, you know,” she replied softly, her eyes boring into his as she brushed his now wet hair back from his forehead.  

Scorpius held her for just a moment longer and then slowly released her from his arms, almost reluctantly, she noted with glee.  He took her hand in his.  “Come on.  We have some flying to do.”

They walked hand in hand back to the castle, laughing in the drizzling rain, and Rose mused that the morning couldn’t have been any more perfect, but the remainder of the day had the potential to outshine it completely.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

“What the hell? What are you doing back so early?” Rory demanded as Scorpius pulled Rose inside the heavy oak doors, laughing and dripping water. They stopped short at his words, looking up in surprise as he stepped into the entry way from the stairway leading to the dungeons. “It’s not even one o’clock.” He glanced at his watch and then between them with a puzzled frown. “And why are you soaking?”

Rose couldn’t contain her giggles, and Scorpius was still breathing heavily from running and splashing through several large puddles just moments ago outside.

“Because it’s raining,” Scorpius replied with a sarcastic chuckle. He squeezed Rose’s hand before letting go of it. “And we thought we’d go for a fly. But what are _you_ doing here? I thought you were going over at nine with Darwin and Bernie.”

Rory huffed. “I was until bloody Bhandari gave me a bloody detention this morning. You’d already gone, so you missed it, but he made me help Parker organize all the broom cupboards in the dungeons.”

Scorpius chuckled. “You got detention from _Bhandari_? He never gives detention. Hell, what did you _do_?”

Rory glanced towards Rose before leaning in and giving Scorpius a conspiratorial wink. “I’ll tell you about it later, but let’s just say that Uma finally stopped giving me the run around,” he said under his breath with a grin.

Rose had barely heard his response, and she noticed that he was barely looking her way, which unnerved her a bit. She and Rory weren’t what she would call _good friends_ , but they certainly got along well enough, and since she’d been dating Scorpius, he’d been fairly friendly. But his looks towards her today reminded her of the ones he’d fixed upon her nearly all of first year until she’d actually finally talked with him while studying with Scorpius near the end of second term.

Scorpius groaned and winced sympathetically. “Ouch. Figures you’d finally get her to come around only to be thwarted by her grandfather, doesn’t it? Tough break.”

“Yeah, well, you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you? Getting caught with your bird?” Rory retorted quietly with a glare toward Rose. “And _you’re_ going for a fly in the rain? That doesn’t sound like anything you’d do.” 

Scorpius laughed. “Oh, I don’t know. It sounds like it might be fun.” He winked at Rose, and she blushed.

Rory shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You’re mental. You know that, right?” He looked hopefully at Scorpius. “Don’t you want to go back to Hogsmeade instead? I was just on my way over and thought for sure I’d catch up with you at the Broomsticks. You owe me a drink, remember?”

Scorpius smirked. “I forgot about that. I did promise you a Firewhiskey once you were of age and finally caught up with me, didn’t I? Next time, I’ll buy you two.”

“Yeah, okay,” Rory agreed reluctantly, crossing his arms over his chest, obviously disgruntled. “But it won’t be the same without you.”

Scorpius laughed. “I suspect you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied without me.” He turned back to Rose. “Wait here and I’ll go down and fetch my broom.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a smile, and he turned back to Rory. “So, are you off, then? Have a good time, mate. And don’t hurry back,” he added with a snicker.

Rory nodded briskly. “Yeah, thanks,” he muttered, still looking rather annoyed. He reached out and grabbed Scorpius as he came further into the entrance hall. “You might want to dry off before going down, and be sure not to track any water inside,” Rory warned. “Parker’s on the warpath today.”

“Right.” Scorpius turned to Rose, holding his arms out to his side. “Care to do the honors for me?”

Rose grinned, pulled out her wand, and quickly cast a drying charm on both Scorpius and the floor. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Be right back.” He seemed oblivious to the tension between them, but Rose was quite aware that something just wasn’t right with Rory today.

Rose quietly cast a drying charm on herself as she watched Scorpius descend down the staircase. She glanced over and noticed Rory was watching him, too. 

“Will we see you later, at dinner?” she asked politely, trying to ease some of the tension and awkwardness between them.

Rory glared at her. “I take it that you’ll be gracing us with your presence then?”

Her eyes narrowed and her hands automatically went to her hips. “What is your problem today?”

“No _problem_ , per se,” he said scornfully. “I’m just wondering how far you’re planning to take this.”

“What are you talking about?” Rose asked, frustration flowing through her. 

“This _whatever_ is going on between the two of you. You’re making him forget himself. Like this ridiculous notion of going for a fly in the rain … that’s something you dreamed up, not him.”

“What’s wrong with him doing something fun with me?”

“It isn’t _him_. It’s like you’re trying to change him. To keep him from his friends.”

Rose shook her head vehemently. “I’m not. I lo- I like him the way he is,” she stammered. “And I’d never try to keep him from his friends. It isn’t as if we spend all of our time together, after all.”

“No, but you are always a factor in everything he does. You’re a _distraction_.”

“A distraction?” she asked in disbelief. “You have no idea what’s going on with us.”

Rory shook his head angrily. “No, _you_ have no idea what’s going on with him. You’re so wrapped up in your fantasy world of how things are that you haven’t even bothered to notice how it affects him.”

“How what affects him? Our dating?” she asked incredulously. “What are you –”

“His parents _know_ ,” Rory interjected and Rose gasped. “They know all about the two of you and how you’ve been snogging all over the castle and making a right spectacle of yourselves.”

Rose gaped at him, his words ringing through her ears, his derisive tone cutting through her. “I – we’re not –”

Rory held up his hand. “ _You are_. He doesn’t want you to know, but he got an owl from his mother yesterday before Potions. She and my mother are friends, you know. And she was quite surprised by the fact that Scorpius was seeing someone and he hadn’t told her.” He glared at her sharply. “But not nearly as surprised as his father was when Mother told him it was you. And judging by his reaction to the owl his father sent last night, it was quite a _disappointment_ , you can be sure.”

“Oh!” Rose flashed back to yesterday. She hadn’t seen or talked to Scorpius during or after Potions – she’d been busy with Ellie and he’d been deep in conversation with Rory after class – nor had they seen each other at dinner, and she’d spent the rest of the evening in the common room playing Exploding Snap with Al and Hugo. But then he’d come looking for her and he’d had something to talk to her about but he never did because she’d come on to him and the whole _sex_ thing had come up and …

Rose felt hot tears building up. “Well, thank you ever so much for telling me how I’m the cause of every bad thing in Scorpius’s life. What do you want me to do? Break it off with him? Say I don’t want to be with him?” She angrily swiped at one or two sliding down her cheek. “I won’t do it,” she whispered. “I won’t lie to him like that.” 

Rory’s glare lessened somewhat and he looked away uncomfortably. “You can’t truly expect this fling with him to last, not with you being a half-blood. No matter how he thinks he feels about you,” he mumbled. 

“What did you say?” she demanded fiercely. 

His eyes met hers. “You heard me.”

“How can you…why would you even say something like that?”

“Because his father will. You can rest assured that Draco Malfoy will never approve of his only son becoming too serious about a half-blood.”

“ _A half-blood_?” Rose shook her head, not even trying to stop the tears this time. “Are you joking? I thought we were over all that nonsense.” She paused. “Most of us aren’t pureblood. Damn it, nearly half the kids in this school are Muggle-born. A third of the people _in Slytherin_ are Muggle-born. How can it matter anymore that my mother is?”

“It’s not our rule, you know,” he said, looking somewhat ashamed. “We don’t necessarily believe all that, but we were raised to…I mean, it’s okay to be friends with…hell, to even go out with girls who aren’t pureblood, but that’s all it can be. Our families are old pureblood families. And keeping that intact is important.”

“ _I’m in an old pureblood family_! The Weasleys –”

“The Weasleys are blood-traitors. It isn’t the same.”

“I can’t believe you’d say that to me!” she fumed. “I know we’re not the best of friends, but how can you say these things? How can you believe these things? How could you insult my family like that? And you’re all so close with James, how can you –” she paused, a revelation crossing her face. “But he’s considered a pureblood, isn’t he?”

“That and there’s no danger of any of us dating him, either,” Rory retorted. “Look, Scorpius will be back anytime now and…” He shook his head and looked sheepishly towards the stairs. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I know you really like each other,” he said, catching her eye again. “It isn’t… _I_ don’t have any issues with you personally. Believe it or not, I do consider you a friend, but Scorpius is my best friend. And he won’t tell you any of this because he wants to be with you, but I think he’s torn. And I think you need to understand that it’s causing conflicts with his father. And his grandparents aren’t even involved yet.” 

He took a deep breath and held her gaze intently. “Think about what I’ve said. I’m not telling you to break it off because…well, he really does fancy you. And he's told me that you have your own issues about telling your parents. Just be prepared for what’s going to be coming on his end.”

Rose nodded, a mixture of anger and sadness in her glare.

“Yeah, so, I should go…” Rory muttered.  Rose turned away, but she heard him clear his throat and mumble, “See you,” before exiting through the front doors. She blindly made her way across the entrance hall and sat on the lower steps of the marble staircase.

_They know!_ she thought. _His parents know about me, and of course, they don’t approve_. She sighed and shook her head, tremendously frustrated. The stupid blood wars had been _twenty-five fucking years ago_. She didn’t understand how anyone could still care about something so ridiculous. And it wasn’t as if it really _mattered_ whether someone was pureblood or half-blood or Muggle-born when it came to magic. Her mother was one of the most brilliant witches Rose had ever seen, right on par with Gran, who could do almost anything with a wand.

Before starting school, her parents had warned her that there might still be prejudices among some of the older families, and when she’d first arrived at Hogwarts, she’d seen a bit of it – some kids were snootier than others, associating only with certain other kids, mostly within their own Houses. But it hadn’t been unique to any of the Houses and not much was made of blood purity itself, so Rose had figured that her parents were just being overly cautious, as usual, because they’d encountered such things when they were younger, but now, it was simply a matter of all the kids in school getting to know each other.

And at first, she’d mistakenly thought Scorpius was one of them. But that was before she actually had to spend time with him in class and realized that he was just extremely confident and slightly conceited and that his superior demeanor stemmed from his arrogant faith in his own abilities coupled with his wealth rather than anything more sinister.

She thought back to what Rory had said; that it was fine for Scorpius to _date_ her but nothing beyond that. Was this his way of saying that Scorpius was just playing her? Biding his time with her until someone _more acceptable_ came along? She thought about his prior girlfriends, but honestly, she had no idea as to what their ‘blood status’ was.

Rose heard footsteps coming up the stairs from the dungeons, and she quickly wiped her eyes of any last tears. A genuine smile appeared on her face when she saw him, holding tight to his broomstick as he looked toward the front doors for her.

“Hey,” she called, and he turned to her with a grin. 

“Hey. Sorry it took me so long. You ready to show me what the fuss is all about?” He held out a hand to her, and she nodded, a knot in her throat, as she took his hand, allowing him to pull her up and lead her out of the castle. 

****

“Hold on,” he cautioned as he kicked off, and the two of them zoomed into the air. Rose felt the wetness of the rain against her face and the heat of Scorpius against her back as his arm tightened around her waist and he gripped the broom with his other hand in front of her. His chest was pressed firmly against her back, his legs tightened securely around hers, and his lips were precariously close to her neck. 

This wasn’t the first time he’d taken her up on his broom, but it was the first time he’d been behind her, and Rose determined that as much as she enjoyed wrapping her arms around his waist and straddling the broomstick behind him, this was even better. It was as if he was wrapped entirely around her, and she couldn’t help wanting to melt back into him.

“You were right, you know?” he whispered into her ear, his arm tightening around her. 

“Yeah?” she replied, unconsciously leaning back into him. “It happens occasionally.”

He chuckled. “More than occasionally.” He placed a kiss against her cheek. “Seriously, this is brilliant. I never noticed before.”

Rose smiled. “It makes a difference that it isn’t raining too hard and it isn’t too windy. It wouldn’t be the same.”

“I suppose not.” He kissed her neck. “It makes a difference that I’m with you, too.”

“That too,” she said softly.

They flew in silence for a few minutes, winding their way from the Pitch and over the lake and around the castle and above the nearest portion of the Forbidden Forest. But Rose wasn’t enjoying the ride as she had imagined she would because her thoughts were an enormous jumbled mess. 

She couldn’t erase Rory’s words, thinking back and realizing that this was, quite possibly, the first time that anyone at school had even mentioned her ‘blood status’ to her. And could what he said be right – would Scorpius’s dad keep them apart for that reason alone? Was his dislike for her parents really based solely upon her mother’s parents not being wizards? And if so, was that why her parents disliked Mr. Malfoy so much? Why the rest of her family disliked the Malfoys so much? Was _that_ enough to sustain twenty-five years of bad feelings between their families?

And was that what he’d wanted to talk to her about in the prefect’s bathroom the previous night? Was he going to tell her that his parents knew and they were insisting that he ditch her? Would he have done so if she hadn’t tried to force herself upon him?

His voice cut through her thoughts. “You’re awfully quiet. Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” she fibbed. “I’m just letting you enjoy the moment.”

“Oh no,” he said doubtfully, “I know you better than that. Normally you’d be gushing over every little thing. Now tell me, what’s on your mind?”

She couldn’t help smiling. He was right – she was being entirely too quiet, and he did know her way too well.

But should she ask him about it? Tell him what Rory told her? Or would that just make him angry?

“You never did tell me what you wanted last night when you interrupted my bath,” she said in what she intended to be a teasing tone, not sure if she really wanted him to tell her about it or if she wanted him to tell her something entirely unrelated to any letters from his parents and the implications thereof. She squeezed the arm that was wrapped firmly around her waist.

“I, uh…I got a letter that I needed…no, that I _wanted_ to talk to you about,” he breathed in her ear.

Rose feigned ignorance. “Really? From who?”

Scorpius sighed and slid his hand under the hem of her jumper, causing her to flinch at the initial coldness of his fingers. 

“My parents,” he said finally, hesitation in his voice.

“Okay,” Rose replied when he didn’t continue. “And…?”

He didn’t answer, and Rose turned to look at him over her shoulder. His expression was unreadable, a mixture between uncertainty and guilt.

“What?” she whispered, her heart falling into her stomach.

“I’m sorry, Rose, but after Pansy, er, Professor Zabini, caught us nearly snogging a few days ago, I knew she’d tell Mother, or worse, that she or Blaise would tell Father, and…since that would’ve made things worse, I told her first.” He closed his eyes. “I know we agreed to wait until the break, but…”

“ _You_ told them?” she asked with a start. She turned back to face forward so that he wouldn’t see the look on her face and took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she’d expected him to actually tell her about the letter at all, but _this_ was a complete and utter shock.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated against her ear. His whole body tightened around her, and his hand caressed her skin. “I owled Mother on Tuesday and she told Father. And it was a good thing, too, because Pansy _did_ tell them a couple of days later.” His lips brushed against her cheek. “I asked them not to say anything so that it wouldn’t get back to your parents, but…I know you understand that it was better that they heard it from me.”

Rose nodded and leaned her head back against his, still immensely thankful to have her back to him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “What did they say?”

He didn’t answer right away, and Rose mentally prepared herself for the worst, allowing the scenarios to play through her mind, all of which involved Scorpius receiving a scathing howler and ending with him ditching her.

“Much of what I expected,” he finally replied with a sigh. “Mother was confused as to why I’d kept you a secret, and Father was shocked that it was you.” She felt his lips brush against her neck again, just below her ear, and she shivered. 

“Is that all?”

“No,” he muttered against her skin. “But I owled him back and said we’d talk about it over the break. That’s why it took me so long earlier – I had another owl from him this morning, wondering why I’d ignored his letter last night.”

Rose took another deep breath. “What are you going to do?”

“Do?” he asked. “I’m not going to _do_ anything. He’ll have his say over Easter break, and that’ll be that.”

Rose turned back towards him. “But…”

His hand pressed into her stomach, and his lips found hers. “No buts,” he said after. “I told you before, when we first started seeing each other, that I was ready for whatever came up. And I meant it. I want this with you, and I don’t particularly care what my father has to say about it.”

“Yes, but…”

“No, Rose,” he said forcefully. “No.” He removed his hand from her waist and brought it to her face, forcing her to return his intense gaze. “ _I want this_. Mother understands, and Father will have to as well. Eventually.”

His lips crushed against hers, and she reached back over his shoulder to thread her fingers in his very wet hair. The kiss wasn’t long but it spoke volumes, as both of them seemed to be putting everything they felt into it. And she thought – hoped – that even though he wasn’t saying the words, he felt _love_ just as she did.

“It’s all going to be fine,” he assured her when they broke apart. “So, forget about it for now, alright?”

Rose nodded, a slight smile on her lips. “Okay,” she agreed with a sigh. She watched as droplets of water dripped down his face, and for the first time, she noticed how wet they both were and how cold she was getting. Reflexively, she shivered.

“You’re cold, aren’t you?” he asked, his arm slipping back around her. “Let’s go in.”

Rose nodded her acquiescence, suddenly very anxious to get out of the sky and inside the dry, warm castle.

****

This time, the entrance hall was completely empty, and after performing the appropriate drying charms, they walked hand-in-hand towards the staircases. Scorpius looked back at her questioningly when they reached the great marble staircase. “I left your parcels in my room. If you want, I can just bring them to you later.”

Rose squeezed his hand. “No. I’ll come with you, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” he grinned and began navigating his way down the narrow steps and down to the dungeons, leading her by the hand.

As they passed by the closed door to Zabini’s office, Rose scowled.

“I saw that,” he sniggered. “But I understand – she has been a right bitch to you, hasn’t she?”

Not really wanting to disclose what had happened earlier with Rory, Rose simply nodded and rolled her eyes. “Not only me, but…yeah, she’s never liked me much. And you have as much reason as I do not to like her.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes. “True. But I’ve known her my whole life and I suppose I’m just used to her meddling.” He turned his gaze back to the corridors down which he was leading them.

“I suppose,” Rose replied, grateful that she hadn’t been forced to endure that woman for her entire life, thinking that seven years was long enough as it was.

“This is it.” Scorpius stopped in front of the stretch of stone wall which she knew concealed the door leading to the Slytherin common room and dormitories. He leaned in and whispered what she assumed was the password since the door slid open, and he squeezed her hand as they walked inside and she unsuccessfully tried to be discreet in taking it all in.

“Oh!” she exclaimed as they entered. “It’s really nice.” 

The room was long and quite narrow, and it wasn’t as homey as her own common room due to the lack of windows, but it was fairly pleasant and bright enough thanks to large green lamps hanging from the stone ceiling and the huge fire roaring in the fireplace in the middle of the long wall. Rather than couches, several large high-backed but comfortable-looking chairs were lined in front of the fire, and she noticed many of them were occupied by very young-looking witches and wizards reading or talking, as were three of the tables off to the far end of the room. 

He chuckled. “You sound surprised.” He glanced around as she did, a somewhat proud smile on his face. “Come on. My room is this way,” he said quietly, leading her down several not-quite-so-lit corridors and past a number of large wooden doors before finally stopping at one near the dead-end of one corridor. Rose laughed nervously. “I think I’d get lost in here.” She looked around. “You do know the way back, right?”

Scorpius chuckled as he pushed open the door. “Maybe I should feign ignorance, and then you’d be forced to stay here with me.”

“Hmmm, perhaps,” she giggled, her mood continuing to lighten tremendously at his teasing.

“Wow!” she said as she entered the room. “This is really different from mine.”

Like the Slytherin common room, Scorpius’s dorm room was long and spacious. There were six beds in all, exactly like those in Gryffindor, except for the green and silver hangings surrounding each one, three on each side of the door, and across from each bed aligning the other wall was a desk. 

“What’s so different?” he asked as she followed him to the farthest bed on the right.

“Lots of things,” she replied, hopping up on the edge of his desk, careful not to disturb the stack of papers and books and their tiny shrunken packages from earlier that morning sitting atop it. “Mine is in the tower, so it’s circular. And we have windows in between each bed around the wall. And of course, my curtains and bed linens are crimson and gold.”

Scorpius turned to her with a teasing leer. “I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it, seeing as the chances of me ever making into your room are slim.”

Rose giggled. “Yes, the Headmistress is quite progressive, but I’m not sure that even she could undo centuries old magic like that.” They’d all heard the stories of how the staircases leading to the girls’ dormitories in both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers turned into slides and how an invisible wall suddenly appeared to separate the girls’ dormitories in the dungeon rooms housing both Slytherin and Hufflepuff Houses.

She watched, amused, as Scorpius pulled a long, narrow case out from under his bed and laid it atop his bedspread. He carefully replaced his broomstick inside, gingerly tucking a heavy protective cloth around it before closing and locking the case. Never before had Rose seen anyone so fastidious with his broomstick, and she swung her legs playfully, giggling as she watched him shove the case back underneath his bed.

He stood and wiped his hands on his trousers. “What?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing,” she said as she tried not to laugh further at his arched eyebrow and curious expression. 

“No, it’s _something_ ,” he said as he moved in front of her, his hands coming to rest on her knees. “What’s so funny, Weasley?”

She giggled again as she leaned back on her hands. “I told you, it’s nothing.”

He stared at her for a moment, and Rose stared back, biting her lip to keep from giggling further. Despite her amusement at the teasing, she was fully aware that Scorpius was now standing between her knees, close enough that she could see the flecks of darker blue in his eyes, and she could smell that something that she always associated with him.

“You say it’s nothing, and yet, you’re still laughing,” he said wryly, “so _obviously_ something has struck you as humorous.” 

He narrowed his eyes and fixed her with a mischievous glare as his face neared hers. “I’ll give you one last chance to tell me on your own. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to take whatever steps are necessary to discover your secret.”

Rose arched her eyebrow at him, her grin transforming into a self-satisfied smirk. “ _Oh really_? I’d like to see you try it, Malfoy,” she scoffed. “There isn’t anything you can do to me –”

But her next words were lost in a gale of laughter as his left hand deftly caught her right hand behind her back, his right hand slid over her ribs, and he began tickling her.

Rose squealed. “Scorpius…no…please…oh stop,” she pled as she gasped for air between fits of laughter as his fingers found her most sensitive spots.

“Oh no,” he said smugly. “I gave you every opportunity to tell me what you found so amusing, but you chose to be stubborn about it, and now, you’ll have to face the consequences.”

“No…not fair…” she gasped as she squirmed and scooted towards the edge of the desktop, laughingly trying to fight him off one handed. But he was stronger than she, and he relentlessly continued his torture as she managed only to knock the stack of papers and a couple of books into the floor.

He fixed her with a predatory gaze. “See, and now you’ve committed a grave error in judgment, Miss Weasley, by allowing me to see your weakness. What kind of Slytherin would I be if I didn’t use it to my advantage?”

Rose laughed as she shifted again, and this time, he was close enough that his fingers brushed against the underside of her breast and her thigh rubbed against his. His fingers stilled, and their eyes met only seconds before their lips did in an almost frenzied kiss. 

She felt Scorpius’s grip at her back tighten as he pressed against her at the same moment her arms encircled his neck tightly and she arched into him, effectively trapping his hand between their bodies. She shifted again until she was barely perched on the desk and rubbed against him again, this time purposely.

Her body screamed at her to keep going, and her legs blindly followed the instructions they were being given, wrapping themselves around him, pulling him in closer, if that was even possible. His groan was swallowed by her kiss, but he followed her lead, the hand at her back sliding just inside the waistband of her jeans and clutching the bare skin of her lower back as he attempted to close any further distances as well.

She felt the hand between them creeping upward, and she shifted to allow him access to cup her, as he broke their kiss and immediately attacked her neck just below her ear. She could hear his ragged breaths and could feel his open mouth sucking and his fingers pressing into her skin, and as she ran her tongue along the shell of his ear, Rose thought she might drown in his taste and smell as her own hands made their way across his shoulders and down his arms.

Before she’d realized what she was doing, Rose had slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt and was lifting it over his head. She sucked on his bare shoulder as she ran her fingers over his bare chest then followed the path of fine, soft hair leading down to his trousers and moved them around his waist and up his lean, muscular back. And it was only a short time later before Scorpius stopped sucking on her earlobe just long enough to pick up his wand and send a _Colloportus_ towards the door before pulling her jumper over her head. 

“Beautiful,” he half-groaned, half-whispered as he looked down at her, his fingers sliding over her black satin bra several times before he unhooked it and slipped it off her shoulders. His lips captured hers once again as his fingers stroked her breasts firmly.

They’d been to this point before and it had been brilliant. But today, after all the emotional ups and downs she’d endured, it _felt_ different. Whereas this had been the point at which they’d stopped before, today it was the point from which she wanted them to progress.

The friction was almost too much. Rose knew that her orgasm was imminent, and she moved against him as they kissed, her hands roaming his back and his arms and his hair, pulling him in closer, as his fingers caressed her skin, sliding down her ribcage and over her hips and up her legs before coming to rest under her bum.

She broke their kiss with a gasp and threw her arms back around his neck, clutching him tightly as he scooted her off the desk with her legs still wrapped around him. Their eyes met as Scorpius carried her to his bed, and she nodded at his questioning look before he sat on his dark green bedspread and began kissing her again.

Frenzied became frantic as she straddled his lap, and his hands and mouth moved to her breasts, leaving her writhing against him as she ran her fingers through his hair and held him to her. But when it was too much, she pulled his head away from her chest and moaned his name as she pulled his earlobe between her teeth. His hands moved around to her back, and he turned his head quickly, his lips crushed hers once more. 

As Scorpius kissed her, she felt him lying back, and she followed him willingly, allowing him to pull her down so that she was lying over him. He clutched her bum with one hand as his other hand slid between them. She felt him unbutton her jeans, sliding his hand inside the front of her knickers, and she ground her body against his, causing him to groan against her lips once again before tearing his mouth from hers and sucking hard against her collarbone.

Rose’s head involuntarily lolled backwards, and she breathed heavily as his mouth moved back up her neck. Involuntarily, her hips moved in time with his fingers, bringing her closer and closer to climax from the strength of his grip on her bare skin and being sandwiched between his strong hands. 

He moved his hand from her bum, but before she could protest, he had gripped the back of her thigh and flipped her over so that she lay on her back, his hand still inside her knickers and his body resting between her thighs. They moved hard against each other, and Rose threw her head back against his pillow, arching into him as she came. 

It was such exquisite pleasure, and yet, not quite enough. Not what her body, her mind, and her heart wanted – no, craved – from him.

What had he said to her the previous night when he turned her down? That it had to be special? What could be more special than being in his deserted room, after spending an incredible day together? After he’d almost nearly told her he loved her? So what if he hadn’t said the words? After what he’d said about his father and then the way he kissed her, he _had_ to be in love with her. _He just had to be_. 

Her fingers moved between them, and she flipped open the button on his trousers. She had begun sliding his zipper down when his hand caught hers.

“Rose,” he croaked, his eyes boring into hers, “you can’t…if we’re going to stop…”

She shook her head. “But I don’t want to stop,” she whispered. “I – I want to touch you.”

His breath caught when the tips of her fingers brushed against him, and when she touched him fully, his eyes closed and his breathing was ragged, his mouth slightly open.

They had never done _this_ before, and at first, she wasn’t entirely sure she was doing it right, but as he thrust his hips in time with her movements, she figured that it was good enough, and she focused her attention on how it felt and how he looked as she stroked him harder.

He was gorgeous, his lips wet and open, his eyes now half-open, staring into hers. His breathing was speeding up, and he was moving faster and faster against her hand. She knew enough about biology to know that he was going to orgasm soon, and she pulled her hand from inside his trousers, arching against him as she slid her jeans and knickers down her legs.

“Rose,” Scorpius moaned warningly, even as he shifted to the side and took over, removing them from her legs. “I want you so badly…but...” He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath when she began pushing his trousers and pants down past his hips. He shifted once more, pulling the rest of his clothing off before settling between her legs again, this time completely naked, and she could feel him _there_. 

His icy blue eyes met hers as he rested on his elbows, his fingers caressing her face. “I know you’re a virgin and…I want to make sure…you have to be sure –”

She gripped his face between her hands. “I’m sure,” she whispered emphatically.

They stared at each other intently for a moment that seemed to last eons, and Rose couldn’t stop herself – didn’t want to stop herself – from telling him.

“I love you, Scorpius.”

And she kissed him hard, her hands clutching his face tightly as she shoved her tongue as deeply into his mouth as she could. She moved below him and wound her legs around his calves, causing him to press even tighter against her.

They were still kissing when he moved inside her, and any sound she might have made was completely swallowed by the deep groan issuing from him as his tongue swept through her mouth at the same time his body joined with hers.

And Rose was completely overwhelmed by the fullness of having him inside her, by the weight of his body over hers, by the taste of his mouth against hers, by the sounds of their breathing, by the smell of sex between them. 

Scorpius broke their kiss when he slowly pulled out, coming up on his hands before entering her again, gently but more quickly than the first time.

“Lift your legs,” he directly softly before leaning down to brush a kiss against her lips.

“Okay,” she breathed, raising her legs up around his hips. “Like this?” she whispered.

“Yes,” he hissed, and her eyes widened and she gasped when he thrust even deeper the next time.

It was only a short time before his movements became faster and more erratic, and he moaned her name as he attempted to dip his head into the crook of her neck. But Rose gripped his cheeks, forcing his face back up. She wanted to see him, knowing that he’d watched her every time he’d brought her to orgasm.

And when he did come just a moment later, she wasn’t disappointed. Not that she’d ever tell him, but she thought that he was beautiful, so graceful and sexy, just simply _amazing_.

She released her hold on his face, and he once again buried his head in the crook of her neck. She felt several soft kisses against her skin, and she smiled through her tears, running her hands over his shoulder blades.

Once his breathing slowed, Scorpius rose up on his elbows once more and brushed a few stray curls from her forehead. He placed a gentle, chaste kiss against her lips then pulled back and gazed into her eyes.

“You know, don’t you, Rose…that I love you, too.”

He kissed her again as he gently slid out of her and then rolled onto his back at her side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to lie in the crook of his arm. She laid her head upon his chest and listened to his even breathing and his heartbeat, and all the while, Rose thought about what they’d just done and what it all meant and just how much she loved having this man in her heart and in her arms. 


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter 7 **

“Chastity, once lost, cannot be recalled; it only goes once.”  Rose’s eyes flew open as these words flew into her mind.  _Why am I thinking about my Nana Granger at a time like this?_

“It may seem simple, Sweetheart, but sex is not something to be taken lightly.  It isn’t only a physical expression of love and desire, it is an emotional one as well, and unless you are mature enough to fully cope with the consequences, it’s better to wait.”

Her mother’s words rang loudly in Rose’s head as she lay there with her head on Scorpius’s chest mere moments later, no longer basking in what Eryn had called the initial ‘after-glow.’  Instead, she was sore and sweaty and desperately needed to use the toilet, but she did not want to get up and walk those few meters to the loo completely _naked_.

Scorpius shifted towards her, his arms tightening around her waist, his face in her hair.  “Hmmm…Rose,” she heard him murmur as she buried her head in the crook of his neck and succumbed to her thoughts.

Of course, _she_ wasn’t the only one; _he_ was naked as well.  Her eyes drifted down his chest, coming to rest on his lean stomach, and it occurred to her that she’d never actually seen a man fully naked before, aside from those in her grandparents’ old medical books that her mum had shown her and not counting last summer at the Burrow when Stefan and Alexander had prompted the rest of the boys to drop trough after swimming, flashing their arses much to Gran’s chagrin as she just happened to be entertaining in the garden.  And as intrigued as Rose might normally have been at this new experience, the gravity of the situation was greater, and she promptly returned her gaze to his neck.

Sadly, the feeling of bliss and contentment had passed, and Rose was hit with the realization of what they’d just done – _what she’d just done_ – and her mind raced as her inner voices screamed at her, echoing her mother’s and her grandmothers’ and her cousins’ advice and warnings and innuendoes over the years in rapid succession.

_‘Sexual intercourse between two consenting adults can be tremendously satisfying, both physically and emotionally.’_

_‘Don’t expect much the first time, especially if either of you are virgins.’_

_‘Sex is so much more than stimulation, penetration, and climax, dear.  You don’t have to be in love, but it means more if you are.’_

_‘Forget about that stupid charm and take a potion because you never know when you’ll need it.’_

_‘Be ready to be overwhelmed when it finally happens, especially when you love him.  It magnifies everything.’_

_‘Haste is productive of injury, and so is too much hesitation. He is the wisest man who does everything at the proper time.’_

_‘Please wait until you’re ready, Rose, because sex complicates things.’_

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  Her mother’s explanations about sex last year had been _quite thorough_ , complete with embarrassing photographs and diagrams from those old Muggle medical books and a very explicit narrative concerning what could happen if precautions weren’t taken.  And she had warned Rose that it was important not to rush into having sex when she finally fell in love and found someone that she wanted to be intimate with but to wait until she was emotionally ready to make such a commitment.  

But instead of really paying attention to _what_ her mother was really saying, Rose had squirmed and stammered and insisted, quite honestly at the time, that she had absolutely _no_ _intention_ of doing _that_ anytime soon and _never_ would she rush into anything as important as sex.  And as if to prove her point, she’d gone and ditched Simon later that very same day.

And had it really only been five months ago, just after her seventeenth birthday, when her two favorite female cousins sat her down in Uncle George’s old room at the Burrow and gave her a ‘good old fashioned girl-to-girl sex talk’ – one that actually addressed, without her having to ask, those questions Rose hadn’t had any desire to ask her mother such as what it was _really_ like, what it really _felt_ like, and how would she know if she was ready?  And once again, she’d blushed and stammered to Karla and Eryn just as she had a few months prior during the discussion with her mum, feeling completely embarrassed but listening slightly more closely to them than she had to her mother.

Of course, she and her friends talked about it as well, but none of them was having sex, or would readily admit it, so their conversations consisted entirely of daydreams as to who they’d like to shag and speculation as to when it might happen.  Based upon their conversations, Rose deduced that some of her friends probably had lost their virginity already, because their comments and expressions resembled too closely those of her cousins who were both already engaged and most assuredly not virgins.  And others of her friends were rather anxious to go all the way, feeling as if they were missing out by not having done so.  But prior to Christmas holidays, Rose truly hadn’t felt that way; she didn’t understand why they were in such a hurry, and she had repeatedly insisted that she would never allow herself to become caught up in the moment and do something so meaningful without truly planning it out first.  In response, her friends had teased her more than once that she’d probably be the only one of them to escape Hogwarts with her virginity intact.  

And yet, she’d done precisely that thing she sworn not to – she’d allowed her emotions to get the better of her, and her desires had clouded her judgment and taken control rather than exercising more caution – and she’d practically _begged_ her boyfriend to shag her without any hesitation, and without bothering to stop and fully analyze the situation entirely beforehand.  

Why hadn’t she paid more attention?  Not only to her mother but to her cousins as well?  Hadn’t Karla told her that even though it didn’t necessarily hurt _during_ , that she would probably feel rather uncomfortable afterwards?  And hadn’t Eryn warned that she might experience some regret, even when she really wanted to do it, and that the blasted tears now collecting in Rose’s eyes should have been expected because it really was overwhelming to lose one’s virginity, _especially_ if she had very strong feelings for the man she lost it to?  

_But thank God_ she’d paid attention to Eryn’s warning that it was all too easy to become caught up in the moment and forget about casting the charm and heeded Karla’s rather frank advice to be sure and just start taking a potion the moment she even _started_ thinking about sex to avoid suffering any of the consequences otherwise.  She hadn’t entirely believed them that something so important could slip her mind, but she’d picked up on Karla’s intensity and the dark shadow that crossed her eyes, and when the first thoughts of shagging Scorpius crossed her mind several weeks ago, she’d gone to the Restricted Section and found the strongest contraceptive potion she could find in _Moste Potente Potions_ and brewed it right away.  And it was a good thing, she admitted, because today, once she’d started snogging him, it hadn’t even crossed her mind _one_ _time_ to cast a contraceptive charm, even though she knew the incantation well enough to recite it in her sleep.

Scorpius moved again, his fingers caressing her back subconsciously.  His breathing was even, and she wondered if he’d possibly dozed off.  She lightly stroked his chest, her fingers entangling in the white-blond hair.  The intimacy of this moment wasn’t lost on her, but despite her efforts to ignore them, Rory’s hurtful words began running through her head.

_‘You’re causing conflicts with his father.’_

_‘You can’t truly expect this fling with him to last, not with you being a half-blood.  No matter how he thinks he feels about you.’_

_‘You can rest assured that Draco Malfoy will never approve of his only son becoming too serious about a half-blood.’_

_‘It’s okay to go out with girls who aren’t pureblood, but that’s all it can be.’_

Then he’d actually had the gall to call the Weasleys ‘blood-traitors’ in a manner that was less than complimentary.  It was, of course, a term that Rose had heard – ‘blood-traitors’ were pureblood wizards and witches who refused to subscribe to the old blood purity prejudices – but she hadn’t heard anyone use it with such a negative connotation and not specifically as to her family.  She found it incredibly difficult to believe that it was a bad thing not to agree with such utter rubbish, and she wondered how anyone her age could fall prey to such beliefs.

And how could Rory have claimed to be her friend and yet been _so_ _unkind?_   She was still reeling somewhat from everything else he’d said:  his derogatory comments about her and her family, his revelations that Scorpius’s parents knew of their relationship and that they blatantly disapproved of her personally, his enlightening her as to the probable reasons for their disapproval, his insinuations that Scorpius was really torn between her and his family and that his reservations would become far worse when his grandparents became involved, his accusations that Rose was trying to change him.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.  Scorpius had insisted that he wanted this – _wanted her, had said he loved her_ – and to hell with what his father had to say about it.

“Merlin, Rose,” he whispered against her forehead, pulling her body closer still to his.  “This…you…couldn’t be any more perfect.”

The enormity of _everything_ crashed down on her, and any ability that she might have possessed to keep her threatening tears at bay dissolved completely at his words.  She wiped furiously at those slipping across her cheek, trying in vain to keep them from falling on his chest.

“Rose, what’s wrong?” he asked, lifting her chin and forcing her head up to meet his eye, his voice laced with concern and something akin to panic.  “Are you okay?  I didn’t hurt you –”

She shook her head and averted her eyes, focusing on the wall behind him.  “No, it’s not that.  It’s just…” She looked back at him, her face hot with embarrassment.  “I don’t know.  I’m sorry.”

She closed her eyes as his knuckles brushed lightly against her cheek.  “Don’t apologize,” he whispered.  “I – maybe I should apologize to you.  I didn’t mean for us to…I tried to, but I couldn’t stop.”

Rose felt his lips press against her forehead.  “I meant what I said, you know.  I do love you.”

She took a deep breath, trying to keep from hiccupping or sobbing.  No amount of warning could have prepared her for the raw emotions that she was feeling, and her earlier thoughts that maybe she should have been more careful and not so reckless with her body and her heart were pushed aside.

“I love you, too,” she said between sniffles.  “And it isn’t as if I’m sorry…but I didn’t expect to feel so, I don’t know…weird about it all.”  She placed a quick kiss against his lips, but when he pressed his lower body against hers, she withdrew from him.  She could feel that he was becoming aroused once more, but the thought of doing it again so soon was not entirely appealing.  

“I, uh,” she stammered quietly, motioning towards the door over his shoulder, “…need to use the loo.”

“Oh.  Right.”  He released her after a quick peck on the lips, his sexy smirk gracing his face.

Rose’s face burned.  “Can you, you know, not watch me?”

“Okay,” he replied slowly, fixing her with a bemused look before closing his eyes, laying his arm across his face.

Rose quickly slid off his bed and released the ties holding back his bed curtains which promptly surrounded his bed.  She hastily retrieved her knickers, which were still entangled in her jeans, and snatched his shirt from the floor before escaping behind the door to the loo.  Once inside, she took several deep breaths, attempting to collect herself as she used the toilet and washed her hands before facing herself in the mirror.

She ran her wet hands over her face, shocked at her reflection.  She wasn’t sure what she had expected to see, really, and she supposed that she should have known better, logically, but other than the many stray strands of her hair that were escaping the plaits that she’d worn all day and the obvious signs of snogging evidenced by her red and swollen lips, she didn’t look any different.  

And that surprised her.

As they’d made love – she flushed and shivered at that thought – Rose had envisioned herself as this sexy, grownup woman, and for whatever illogical reason, she’d thought she actually appeared that way to him, as well.  But even though _everything_ had changed for her the moment she felt him inside her, outwardly, nothing looked different.

_Oh my god – I’m no longer a virgin_ , she told herself as she began unraveling her braids before rolling her eyes at herself.  As if the soreness or a naked Scorpius Malfoy still lying in his bed on the other side of that door hadn’t been proof enough.

Even though Karla and Eryn had warned her, Rose really hadn’t expected to have these mixed feelings.  She slipped her knickers on and pulled Scorpius’s shirt over her head, breathing in deeply his smell.  They should have talked about it more, _actually planned it_ , rather than just allowing themselves to lose control in such a frenzy of physical desires and their emotions.

But she didn’t _regret_ it.  She knew that much.  She was in love with Scorpius, and she had wanted him – wanted _him_ to be _the one_ –even though she had for all practical purposes been aware beforehand, and was now quite convinced, that she clearly wasn’t _his_ first.  Perhaps that was the reason for the bittersweet feelings she had about it all, and she couldn’t help wondering if maybe it had been less special for him than it had been for her, and a huge wave of jealousy coursed through her for any or all of the three – _bloody hell, three!_ – girls who had experienced this with him before her.

“Don’t go there,” she muttered to her reflection.  She shook out her hair once she was finished untangling it, running her fingers through her curls.  “It doesn’t matter what happened before me.  What’s important is that he’s with me now.”

She opened the door quietly, not sure what to expect, but finding Scorpius crouched down, tidying up the papers that they’d knocked off his desk.  Her breath caught when he stood, clad only in his trousers, and she bit her lower lip as he came towards her, admiring his tousled hair falling into his face, the lean the muscles of his bare chest, even his bare feet.

His arms enclosed around her, and he looked at her seriously.  “Are you – is everything alright?”

She kissed him gently.  “Yeah.”  She felt her face flush.  “I feel a bit ridiculous, actually.  It’s all just a bit overwhelming, you know?”

Scorpius let out a relieved breath.  “I understand.”  He smiled uneasily, and it struck Rose that she’d never seen him look quite so unsure before.  “I was worried…thought that maybe you were regretting it…and me.”

He’d nearly whispered the last part, and if Rose hadn’t been looking at him directly, she might not have been able to make out what he’d said.  She shook her head vehemently.  “Never,” she whispered back before kissing him again.  

Her intentions had been to kiss him quickly as reassurance that it _wasn’t him_ she was having reservations about, but before she knew it, he was pulling his shirt over her head and her knickers down her legs, and she was once more lying naked on his bed, and he was slowly moving inside her once again.  Things were slower than before; he was more controlled and she was more aware of what was going to happen next.  But it still didn’t last very long, and when it was over, Rose thought that it might be days before she’d be able to fly again without pain.

Scorpius pulled his blanket over them, and Rose gingerly rolled over to her stomach and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him as he gazed at her seriously.  His hand slid into her hair.  “I like when you wear it down,” he muttered.  “So beautiful.”

Rose responded by pressing a wet kiss against his collarbone, diverting her eyes from his as she felt her face redden yet again.  She hadn’t expected him to be anything less than gentlemanly, but she hadn’t been prepared for him to be so openly complimentary or so loving.  She couldn’t help hoping that he hadn’t loved the others, that he hadn’t said it, that he hadn’t thought it.

Scorpius chuckled softly, and she looked back at him.  His eyes showed amusement, and he was wearing that cocky grin that she loved so much.

“What?” she asked curiously, arching an eyebrow.

“I suppose that answers my question that _we’re_ okay.”  He blushed slightly, and Rose was again surprised, not sure that she’d ever seen that before either.  “Well, _much_ _better_ than just okay.”

Rose nodded, blushing again herself.  “Hmm hmm,” she agreed, thinking that despite the discomfort she was feeling, it was indescribable having him inside her and over her and now lying partially beneath her.  Yes, she was beginning to understand what the big deal about making love was all about.  Her eyes locked with his once again.  “I am sorry for earlier…I guess I was a bit more overwhelmed about, well, _this_ , than I thought I’d be.”

“Stop apologizing,” he said, frowning.  “I understand.”  An odd, somewhat apologetic look crossed his face.  “Selfishly, I’m glad.”

“Glad?”

He nodded and looked away.  “I know it isn’t something I should admit, but…I’m…I like that you were a virgin, that I was your first.”

Rose stared at him intently.  “You said that before.  How did you know?  I mean, could you _tell_?”

“Well,” he stammered, “I could tell, you know… _during_.  But I already knew.  Aside from the fact that I _know_ you and all,” he paused, a frown furrowing his brow, his tone suddenly becoming more tense, “during that whole mess with Whitby, Macmillan paid me a visit, and he was very adamant about the fact that you were not someone who slept around and that if that was what I was after, I should just move on and he’d be happy to show me the way.” 

His arm tightened around her, rather instinctively she noted, and he looked at her sharply.  “He still fancies you, you know.”

Rose shook her head with a smile.  “He does not.  We’re just really good friends.”

“Perhaps on your end,” Scorpius muttered, and Rose felt a somewhat perverse thrill that he looked and sounded jealous, “but I assure you, it’s more for him.”

“It really isn’t,” she said.  “Simon _is_ protective of me, but it’s like he is with his sister, Camille.  And he acts that way with Ellie, too.”  She fixed him with a questioning gaze.  “Why does it bother you?” 

“No bloke wants to be told how to treat his girlfriend by her bloody ex,” he scowled.  “It’s as if he’s keeping a comparison as to which of us cares about you more.” 

“Yes, well, no girl wants to be compared to her boyfriend’s exes, either,” she snapped, unable to stop herself from saying what she was thinking, although she hadn’t intended to bring it up at that precise moment, under those particular circumstances.  She felt his body tense.

  
“I’ve never compared you with _anyone_ ,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet.  His eyes blazed.  “I don’t know what you’re thinking, where you’re leading with this, but please, don’t.”

Rose met his glare with one of her own.  “How can you not?” she asked furiously.  She was being irrational; she knew it, even as she asked the question.  But she was irritated at him for not having waited for her, and she was angry at herself for caring so much that he hadn’t.

“Because she could _never_ compare to you,” he replied tersely, sitting up and effectively forcing Rose to do the same, and she pulled her end of the blanket up to cover her chest as she sat in front of him.

_She?_ Rose thought in shock.  _Just she?_   Of course, she knew without doubt who the ‘she’ referred to.  But despite the fact he’d just confirmed that he’d slept with Lise Dubois last term, Rose was tremendously relieved that it was only _she_ and not _they._   

Scorpius reached over and grasped her hand, squeezing it tightly.  “ _No one_ compares to you.”  He shook his head, his frustration evident.  “I’m not proud of what I did with her … I knew I didn’t care about her like I should.”  He averted his eyes, focusing on a snag in his blanket.  “I knew I wanted you, even then, so I shouldn’t have…”  His voice trailed off, and he looked at her again.  “I wish I’d waited.  If I had a time-turner, I’d never have even gone out with her.  But at the time, I…I had no way of knowing that you and I…that we’d…”  He sighed loudly.  “It’s a lousy excuse, I’m aware, but it’s the truth.”

Rose leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his lips.  “I’m sorry.  That wasn’t fair.”

“No, it wasn’t.”  He shook his head sadly.  “I can’t change the past,” he said softly, “no matter how much I want to.  And I won’t mention any of this again, because that’s unfair to her.  But I didn’t really care for her, and I regret using her like I did, even if she used me as well.”  He snorted sardonically.  “Mother would murder me if she knew.  She’s always insisted that I be a gentleman, no matter what.”

Rose’s heart sped up at the mention of his mother, bringing her automatically to thoughts of his father, thinking that they’d probably want to murder him if they could see him right now.

“She’d be pleased then, because you are a gentleman,” she said softly, avoiding his gaze.  “Although _this_ might be a problem.”

“What?  Us?”  He shook his head slightly.  “Only if she listens to Grandfather’s nonsense.”  He squeezed her hand again.  “Mother doesn’t believe all that blood purity rubbish.”

She purposely did not call attention to his comment or the fact that _he’d_ never actually acknowledged to her the reason for his family’s disapproval, but she was curious if he’d tell her anything more.  “But what about your dad?”

Scorpius sighed.  “With Father, it’s more complex.”

Rose nodded sadly, not wanting to push too far just yet.  “But you’ve told them, so it won’t be a complete shock when you go home.”  She paused, took a deep breath, and looked seriously into his eyes.  “Do you think I – I wonder if I need to go ahead and owl my parents.  Like you said, it would be so much worse if someone else told them first –”  She didn’t want to say what she was thinking, but she wondered if their dads’ rivalry was such that Scorpius’s dad might think it humorous to tell her dad, just to hurt him.

“I don’t know, Rose.  I don’t know them, but I know you’re afraid of how they’ll react.”  He shrugged.  “Personally, I’m relieved that Father has three weeks to digest it.  By then, Mother will have had time to work on him.”

Rose nodded.  “I can see that side of it, although with my parents, I’m worried they might use those three weeks to stew on it and let it build up into a huge battle as opposed to just surprising them with it and going from there.”

Scorpius looked at her thoughtfully.  “I told my father you hadn’t told them yet, and I asked him not to say anything.  I don’t think he would since I expressly asked him not to, but,” he sighed, “there is that possibility, I’m afraid.”

“I was just thinking…well, we didn’t exactly hide it in Hogsmeade,” Rose mused, “and my Auntie Katie could easily have spotted us.  Not to mention what happened with Auntie Ginny.”

“Tell them when you think it’s best, but you have to tell them.”  Scorpius took a deep breath and put his arm around her, pulling her close.  “They can say what they want, but in the end, they’ll all just have to understand that we’re serious.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her gently.  “I know they’ll all say we’re too young, but … I’ve never told anyone I love them, Rose,” he said intensely.  “I want this with you.”

“And you always get what you want, don’t you?” she whispered teasingly, fighting the urge to climb into his lap, grab his hair, and thrust her tongue into his mouth.

He smirked.  “You know I do.”  He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and Rose followed his gaze.  It was after three, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before their classmates started returning. 

“We should – I need to go.”

Scorpius leaned forward and kissed her once more.  “Thank you for today, for trusting me.”

Rose touched his cheek, rubbing her thumb along his slightly stubbly jaw.  “Thank you for being trustworthy,” she replied seriously.  

He blushed again as he held her hand and kissed her palm.  “Let’s get you presentable and go up to Gryffindor Tower.  I know you’re dying to look through that book you bought your dad before you send it to him.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Scorpius _Accioed_ her clothes and handed them to her as he did the same for his.  “I’ll just…” he motioned towards the loo, “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Rose watched him slip into the loo, her cheeks blazing as she admired his backside.  She quickly got dressed and was separating their packages when he returned moments later, a stricken look on his face.

“Rose,” he said quietly, his voice trembling as he stepped in front of her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“What?  What’s wrong?” Rose asked, her heart dropping into her stomach as she wondered what could’ve happened so quickly to affect him so deeply.

“I’m so sorry.  I forgot…we forgot to cast the charm –”

Relief washed over her, and she hugged him tightly.  “It’s okay.  I’ve been taking a potion.”

“You have?”  He pulled back, a surprised and relieved look on his face as he let out a deep breath.  “I’m not sure what made you think of it, but you’re bloody brilliant.”

She grinned and patted his cheek, trying to erase the look of anxiety still in his eyes.  “One of these days I’ll tell my cousin, Karla, you said thanks.”

He smiled back, another deep sigh of relief escaping his lips.  “One of these days, I’ll personally thank her myself.  And which one is she?”

Rose nodded with a small giggle.  “Charlie’s.  I don’t know if you remember her, though.  Her seventh year was our second, but she was a Beater for Gryffindor.”

“I do remember her,” he said thoughtfully.  “Black hair, right?”  Rose nodded, and he continued, “She and another of your cousins used to come into the library and tease us, remember, about studying together.  I think the other one was a Hufflepuff.”

Rose smiled.  “Yeah, that’s Eryn.  She’s Fred’s eldest sister.”

Scorpius shook his head as he chuckled.  “I’ll never keep them all straight.”  

“You will,” she said laughingly, picking up her packages as he unlooked the door.  “I’ll help you, don’t worry.  Just a time or two at the Burrow, and you’ll have no problem at all.”

“I look forward to it,” he said seriously, grabbing her hand before leading her out the door.  Not being in a terrible hurry, they eventually made their way to Gryffindor Tower and relaxed into one of the large squashy chairs in front of the fire.  Rose pulled out one of her new books, but before long, the fire and the events of the day and Scorpius’s fingers playing in her hair lulled her into a nap, and it seemed like only minutes later when she was being awakened upon Al and Ellie’s return.  Rose watched affectionately as Al challenged Scorpius to a game of chess before dinner, but as she and Ellie cheered them on, she couldn’t help contemplating the letter that she’d decided to write and just what exactly she could say to make her parents understand what he meant to her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**  

“Just you wait, James Potter!” Diana exclaimed as she pushed back, stood up from the table, and glared down at him.  “We _are_ going to beat Slytherin, and Ravenclaw _is_ going to pass Gryffindor and win the Cup this year!”

“Yeah, well, don’t get your hopes up,” James retorted with a chuckle.  “I still say it won’t happen.”

“Oh yes it will,” she huffed defiantly.  “This is our year.” 

“Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re mental if you think that Ravenclaw has a chance to beat Slytherin.  You haven’t beaten them once in the seven years that I’ve been here.”

Diana crossed her arms over her chest.  “Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me.  And those losses happened when they had a decent Keeper.  But McLaggen is positively dreadful.  I guarantee he won’t be able to stop me, Frank, or Bruno from scoring.  We’re more than ready.”

“Maybe so,” he conceded with a smug grin and a wink, “but Cecil can’t match up against Edgar, Trenton, or Winslow either.  And you don’t have the second best Seeker in school.”  He motioned across the table at Rose.  “Everyone knows Malfoy only ever loses to her.”

Rose snorted and rolled her eyes, attempting to ignore the not-entirely-contentious and all-too-common argument between James and Diana.  This happened anytime Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were competing in any way, shape, or form on the Quidditch pitch, and the fact that the two teams weren’t actually playing against each other was never a deterrent.  But whereas Rose usually thought that their banter was funny, and she knew that it would end with the two of them snogging later that afternoon just as it had every other time they’d faced off during the nearly three years they’d been dating, today it was all she could do to hide her irritation and wish that they would just shut the hell up or leave and finish it somewhere else.  Either way would allow her to focus on the Arithmancy homework that she’d been trying to work on for the past two hours amid the continuous interruptions from the various friends and family members as they came down for breakfast.  In fact, she was almost positive that the only person that hadn’t come down was the only one she really wanted to see.  But since Scorpius never came to the Great Hall for breakfast before a match, she hoped that she’d seen everyone that could possibly interrupt her now, so maybe she’d have complete peace once James and Diana left.

“And I suppose you’ll be cheering for Slytherin, too?” Diana asked, her eyes narrowing sharply.

“Well, sure,” James replied as if he was giving the most obvious answer in the world.  “Oh, come on, now,” he said, reaching out and trying to catch hold of her hands when her lips pursed, and all the playfulness left her expression.  “You know I hope you score every goal Ravenclaw makes, but in the end, as long as Slytherin beats you by fifty points, Gryffindor wins the Cup, and that’s where my loyalties lie.”

Diana pulled away from him.  “Not this time, James.”  She glared at him angrily.  “This time it’s personal.  You supporting Slytherin over me means war.”  

Rose watched as Diana turned and stormed away, making her way towards the doors leading out of the Great Hall and as James sat there, stunned, for a moment before leaping up with a not-too-muffled, “Bugger!” and offering Rose a “Later brat,” before taking off behind her.

“Bloody hell, are those two at it again?” Hugo asked with a snigger as he took the seat on the bench next to Rose and began piling food on his plate.  She sighed, wondering how she could’ve overlooked him, as he continued, “I’ve never seen two people go at it like those two.”  His eyes shifted to the book and parchment laid out in front of her and then to her.  “What the hell?  You _do_ realize that it’s _Saturday_ , right?  And not only any Saturday, but a _Quidditch_ Saturday?  And not only any Quidditch Saturday, but the last one of the year?”

“Of course I’m aware that there’s Quidditch today,” she replied testily, motioning to the now empty seats across from her.  “Even if I hadn’t been aware before, I would’ve known after _that_.”  She shook her head.  “James is such an arrogant arse.  Sometimes I wonder why Diana even bothers with him.”

“Then why are you doing _homework_?” Hugo asked in amazement.  

Rose arched an eyebrow and replied with a sarcastic huff, “Because it’s due.  Why else would I be doing it?”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it’s not even due until next month, is it?” he asked jokingly.  “You and Malfoy are competing to see who can finish their homework for the rest of the year first, aren’t you?”  

“Oh ha ha.  You’re so hilarious.”

He looked over at the Slytherin table and then back at Rose.  “So where is he this morning?  I want to make sure he understands the importance of his performance today.”

“I expect he’s preparing for the match,” she replied nonchalantly, noting an answer on her paper.  “Seeing as it _is_ the last one of the year, after all.  And I assure you, he is more than aware of the importance of today’s match to Gryffindor.”

“Good.  He’d better be if he wants to stay in our good graces.”

“Oh yes, and that’s the major concern in his life, staying in the good graces of you boys.”  She sighed heavily, knowing that Hugo was only kidding, and yet, unable to join in his teasing.  She pulled her book back in front of her and tried reading over the next set of problems as Hugo ate in silence.  But she was unable to concentrate.

“Hugo?”

“Hmmm?” he asked, chewing his food quickly before continuing.  “What?”

“Have you, um, you know, had any owls this week?

He looked at her sympathetically.  “Still nothing, eh?”

Rose shook her head.  “No,” she answered, pulling her book still closer.  

She took a deep breath and stared back at the parchment before her, once again trying to concentrate upon the problems that Hugo correctly guessed weren’t even due for a month.  _Anything_ to keep her mind distracted from the fact that it was now _Saturday_ morning, and she still hadn’t received a response to the owl she’d sent her parents on _the previous_ _Sunday_.  

As each day passed, Rose became more and more agitated, any number of scenarios playing through her mind as to the reason why:  the best case being that they were simply not sure how to respond and were waiting to confront her in three weeks, and the worst case being that she’d sent her dad straight to St. Mungo’s where he’d been immediately admitted and remained in critical condition from the shock of it all and her mum just didn’t have the heart to tell her that she’d probably killed him.

“For what it’s worth, I haven’t had any owls from them either,” Hugo offered.  “So it probably doesn’t have anything to do with yours that you haven’t heard anything.”

“Maybe.  Although it probably means they’re furious at you, too, for knowing about it and not telling them.”  

Hugo huffed impatiently.  “You know, Rosie, not everything has to do with you.  Maybe they’ve just been busy.  Maybe Mum’s had an important case that’s kept her occupied.  Maybe Dad had a mission that we don’t know about.  It could be that they just haven’t had time to answer.  Don’t automatically assume that they’re thinking of ways to disown you over who you’re going out with.  They may not even care, for all you know.”  

He took a drink of his juice before standing up to leave.  “And no one else has wanted to tell you this, knowing that you’ve worked yourself into a right mental state over this stuff with Mum and Dad, but you seriously need to get over yourself and stop being so bloody difficult to be around.  Even if they are upset about you and Malfoy going out, so what?  You already knew it wasn’t going to be easy.  And if you like each other that much, you’ll just have to deal with everyone, won’t you?”  

Hugo placed his hand on Rose’s shoulder.  “It’ll be alright, Sis,” he said gently.  “Just relax, put your homework away, and get your arse down to the Pitch at ten to cheer for Slytherin.”

She nodded.  “I’ll be there.  Save me a seat, alright?”

He grinned, and Rose realized, maybe for the first time, just how much his smile resembled their dad’s.  “Sure thing.” 

“Thanks, Hugo.”

“Anytime.”  

“I’m really sorry,” Rose said softly, patting his hand.  “I didn’t realize I was being so obvious about it.”

“I know.  But if your brother can’t tell you when you’re being a moody cow, who can?”  He chuckled and squeezed her shoulder before heading toward the door.  Rose watched him leave then turned back to her parchment, knowing that Hugo was right – she had been awful to be around the past few days.

_That damned letter_.  Rose sighed, wishing that it hadn’t even come to her having to send the stupid thing.  But what Scorpius had said with regard to his own parents – that it would have been so much worse for them to hear about it all from someone else – had been entirely right and applicable to hers as well, especially if it was shared in a less-than-friendly manner.

So between breakfast and Quidditch practice the previous Sunday, she sat alone in her dorm room and wrote what she thought might be the most important correspondence of her life so far.

At first, she had addressed the letter only to her mum, having decided that she was the safer of the two, and asked her to break the news to her dad, but only if she felt it was _absolutely_ _necessary_ to do so before Rose came home for the break, although Rose knew that her parents didn’t keep secrets from each other, ever, and her mum would undoubtedly tell her dad everything.  And what had started out as a short and simple note quickly turned into a four-page letter before Rose was finished, because as she got into it, she’d found that it simply _wouldn’t do_ not to explain to her mother exactly how her friendship with Scorpius had blossomed into more – although she’d shuddered remembering their reactions and unease back in her first year when she’d mentioned that they were friends – and it was something wonderful and exciting and genuine.  

So she wrote about how she envisioned that her romance with Scorpius was similar to what her parents had shared all those years ago, how they’d started out as the best of friends and ended up falling in love with each other.  And she’d felt it imperative to point out that he was really a good-hearted person, so she detailed for her mum all those little things that made him so special – his utter brilliance, his tremendous sense of humor, his immense generosity – describing how he repeatedly did little things to show her how special she was to him and most importantly, how he never failed to treat her with respect. 

She’d also explained – admitted – that they’d been together since just after the first of the year, although she’d figured out that she fancied him before Christmas holidays, and that she had planned on keeping it a secret and not telling them anything about it until she came home for Easter Break, but only because she knew how much they disliked Scorpius’s family and she’d truly wanted to tell them face to face and have the opportunity to plead her case in person, reiterating, more than once, that she did not want them to think that she’d been trying to _hide_ it from them for any other reason.

But she hadn’t sent that first letter, deciding upon the third re-read that it said _too much_ , that if she sent _that_ letter, her mother would not only be able to decipher that she was in love with Scorpius, but, knowing her daughter as well as she did and being as shrewd as she was, Mum would also figure out that Rose had _made love_ with him.  And under _no_ circumstances did she want to pass _that_ information along to her parents, or anyone else for that matter.  

Although she wasn’t particularly surprised that she had no desire to share it with her mum, and by extension, her dad, Rose was somewhat puzzled that she had no inclination whatsoever to tell Ellie.  She wasn’t exactly sure why, at first, because they’d always shared those sort of things before and had agreed to tell each other that as well when it finally happened for either of them, although secretly, Rose wasn’t entirely sure that, when the time came, she _really_ wanted to know _that_ about Al, since the knowledge that he was ‘an amazing kisser’ was quite enough for her to reasonably handle, and it had taken her weeks to recover from overhearing Diana’s assessment about the ‘truly disgusting and wonderfully wicked’ things James could do with his tongue.  

But once it _had_ happened for her, it felt like an intimate secret that only she and Scorpius should share, and Rose felt that telling someone else – anyone else – would betray that intimacy.

So in the end, the one-page letter she actually sent was addressed to both of her parents, and it said simply that she loved them and hoped that they wouldn’t be too upset and that she’d explain everything in as much detail as they required once she was home for the break, but that she thought they needed to hear it from her rather than from someone else that her friendship with Scorpius had progressed beyond that, and they’d decided to date each other, and she was really very happy about it all.

Rose sighed heavily as she slammed her book shut with a thud.  Hugo was right.  She was worrying entirely too much about not having received a response from them.  Something must have come up for their parents not to owl either of them all week, and it most likely had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that she was now dating Scorpius Malfoy.

She rolled up her parchment before glancing at her watch, noting that there was still close to an hour before the match.  She really wanted to see Scorpius beforehand, to properly wish him good luck, and she figured he’d already be down at the Pitch, since he liked to warm up before anyone else got there.  She shoved everything into her book bag, pausing when her fingers brushed across the scarf he’d loaned her weeks ago.  She pulled it out of the bag, running it between her fingers fondly before wrapping it around her neck, unable to stop herself from smiling as she remembered how persuasively he’d insisted that she hang onto it for safe keeping.

She threw her bag over her shoulder and made her way outside and towards the Pitch as quickly as she could, thinking about how little time she’d had with Scorpius over the past week and how anxious she was to have a few minutes alone with him.  Other than patrols the previous Sunday and a few minutes in the library here and there, they hadn’t been alone at all.  And the few times they _had_ been alone, they’d barely touched, and each time, he was the one to pull back, almost as if he was afraid to touch her.  And even as she told herself not to and she was truly ashamed that it was happening, she couldn’t stop wondering, in the back of her mind, if theirs hadn’t lived up to his prior experiences, despite his reverent declarations that he loved her.

When she arrived at the Pitch, she was surprised to see students had already started filling the stands, mostly from Ravenclaw.  She left her book bag in the Gryffindor changing rooms before slipping quietly into those belonging to Slytherin.  She saw him immediately, his head bent down as he straddled one of the benches, flipping through several pieces of parchment in his hand.  As she’d hoped, he was alone, and she cleared her throat to get his attention before softly calling, “Good morning.”

“Rose.”  He looked up with a genuine smile as he stood, deftly dropping the parchment into his locker.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you before the match,” he said as he pulled her into a tight embrace, his lips brushing gently against hers.  “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

She wove her hands into his hair and pressed her lips against his once more.  “I just missed you, is all,” she giggled, pouting exaggeratedly.  “And I wanted to properly wish you luck before the match.  After all, the hopes and dreams of Gryffindor rest with you.”

He smirked.  “I never would’ve thought I’d hear those words come out of the mouth of any Gryffindor.”  He fingered the fringe on his scarf as his other hand clutched her lower back.  “Has anyone ever told you how good you look in Slytherin colors?”

“Not bloody likely,” Rose snickered, wondering what any of their parents would have done if she or her cousins had ended up in Slytherin. 

“Oh, but you do,” he retorted before kissing her jaw just below her ear, his voice low and sexy.  “You’re so fucking gorgeous.”

Rose felt a blush rising over her cheeks and a rush moving through her as their lips connected yet again, and her hands instinctively wrapped around his waist as his free hand slid into her hair and he clutched her neck firmly.  But all too soon, he once again pulled away, running a hand through his hair, and she unwittingly blew out a frustrated breath.  It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted to _shag_ him, especially not in the changing rooms when his teammates could come in at any time, but this starting and stopping was getting rather old, and she was growing a bit irritated, not to mention increasingly self-conscious, at his sudden lack of interest in touching her.  

“I know, I need to go and let you get ready for your match,” she said dejectedly as she moved quickly toward the flaps, only to be stopped by his hand on her wrist just before she slipped through.  

“Oh no.  You’re not running away.  Now tell me, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice laced with concern and a touch of frustration as well.

“Nothing,” she lied, her eyes locking on his.  She shook her head, internally telling herself to keep her bloody mouth shut for once, even as she asked in disappointment, “Why don’t you want to touch me?”

“You can’t be serious.”  He ran a hand through his hair again and let out a long, deep breath.  “I do –”

Rose continued, cutting him off, “Ever since we…since Saturday, you’ve barely touched me anytime we’ve been alone.  Was it that terrible?”

Scorpius snorted cynically, shaking his head in disbelief.  “Merlin, I can’t believe you sometimes.”  He arched an eyebrow and fixed her with an aggravated glare.  “I assure you, there was _nothing_ terrible about it.  And frankly, I can’t believe you’d even think that.  Honestly, Rose, how can you be so insecure about it?  I’ve told you over and over how I feel about you.  I love you, don’t you understand that?  What do I have to do to convince you?”

“I know, but –”

“Is it so bloody wrong that I haven’t wanted you to think that _shagging you_ is the only thing I want from you?”

“No.  Of course not.  But –”  

“And it’s not that I don’t want it, because I do…” he paused, a seemingly unconscious grin playing across his lips before he pursed them again.  “Believe me, I’ve thought of that afternoon almost nonstop since.  But it isn’t as if we’ve had any real time alone this week, is it?  Besides, I figured…well, I thought you might want to wait a bit before we tried it again.” 

“Why would you think that?” Rose asked defensively.  “Because girls aren’t supposed to want –”

“Because I saw you wince a few times, especially that second time,” he said quietly, his gaze not wavering but his glare softening.  “And I didn’t want to…I couldn’t stand it if I hurt you again by rushing things.”

“Oh,” she replied, completely and utterly ashamed at herself for even contemplating that he was anything other than sincere.  “Scorpius, I’m so sorry.  Hugo said I’ve been tetchy because I haven’t heard anything from my parents, and I was, um, nervous that perhaps I wasn’t any good at it and you weren’t interested anymore, and I…I suppose I’ve felt a bit like a slag because I’ve, you know, been thinking about doing it again...a lot.”  She blushed, holding his gaze as she reached up to caress his cheek.  “And thank you for being considerate and all…that’s really, really lovely.”  She ducked her eyes.  “But I, uh…I’m okay now.  I mean, I’m not, you know, sore anymore,” she whispered, knowing undoubtedly that her cheeks were an even brighter red. 

“What is it with you and jumping to conclusions?” he retorted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head again, his smirk returning.  “And why on earth would I think you were a slag for wanting to do it again?  That’s a brilliant thing, I assure you.”

Rose giggled slightly as Scorpius pulled her against him.  “Does it feel like I’m interested?”

“A bit,” she teased, licking her lips unconsciously.

“Damn right,” he said insistently.  “As you can tell, I’m _incredibly interested_.  So no more reading things into it, okay?”  She nodded, and he waggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly, causing her to laugh aloud.  “And later this afternoon, after I’ve won the match and clinched the Quidditch Cup for bloody Gryffindor, perhaps I can convince you to come to my room and offer me my due congratulations?”

“Perhaps,” she replied coyly.  “You’ll have to win first, you know.”

“We’ll win,” he said confidently.  “Even though we can’t win the Cup, none of us wants to lose our last match of the year, especially to a House that hasn’t beaten us in ten years.”  He held her wrist up and looked at her watch.  “You probably should go, though.  The team will be here shortly.”

“Yeah, I should,” she replied with a grin, “but you have to let me go first.”

He kissed her quickly, squeezing her hip tightly.  “After the match, alright?  Say you’ll spend the afternoon with me.”

“Yes,” she breathed, kissing his neck before wriggling out of his grasp.  She paused just inside the flaps and turned back to find him watching her intently.  “Good luck,” she said, blowing a kiss and stepping outside, a wide grin on her face.  

She was deep in thought about a great many things, ranging from mentally berating herself for once again allowing her anxieties to show themselves to being truly excited about whatever the afternoon might hold, and not paying much attention as she scanned the stands, which were now quite full, looking for Al, when she ran smack into a tall, thin, impeccably dressed older wizard.

“Oh, pardon me, sir,” she said apologetically, bending down to pick up his cane.  “I’m so sorry,” she continued as she offered it to him, trying not to make a face at the silver serpent head adorning it.

He eyed her disdainfully and took the cane rather briskly before continuing on his way without so much as a word.  Rose turned and watched him for a moment, shaking her head in amazement at the rudeness of some people, before climbing the stairs and taking a seat next to Al.  She waved and said ‘hullo,’ to James, Fred, and Hugo who were seated on the bench on the other side of Al, and to Cameron and Simon who sat on the bench behind them.  

“Nice of you to join us,” Al said jokingly.  “And what is this?” he asked, flipping the end of Scorpius’s scarf.

“Yeah, well, I had something I needed to do first,” Rose replied with a grin, pulling the scarf out of his hand.

“I’m sure you did.  Spare me the gory details, alright?”

Rose chuckled, looking over to the Ravenclaw section; Ellie was sitting with Catherine McDougal, both of them decked out in their Ravenclaw blue, deep in conversation.  “So are you and Ellie still on speaking terms?”

Al snorted.  “Somewhat, although I wonder how she’ll take a loss today.  They truly believe they stand a chance.”  He rolled his eyes.  “Is Scorpius ready?  After he pulls this off, we might have to make him an honorary Gryffindor.” 

“I’ll let you tell him that,” Rose laughed, watching as the teams flew into the Pitch and took their places.  Naturally, she focused on Scorpius as he faced off against Celeste Smith, the Ravenclaw Seeker, and soared into the air.  This was the first time that she’d watched him play since they’d been dating, although, truth be told, she’d nearly always focused her attention on him during every Slytherin match she’d ever watched since he became Seeker.  At first, it was because they were friends, and he was a brilliant Seeker, and she’d wanted to learn as much as she could from watching him.  But since fourth year, when Rose had really started looking at boys _as boys_ , she’d watched him closely because he was just terribly good-looking, and he rode his broomstick so incredibly well.

Everyone around her cheered, and her eyes left Scorpius long enough to see that Trenton Sutherby had scored, and Diana was now hurtling toward the Slytherin goals, a determined look on her face.  All of her contingency cheered along with everyone in Ravenclaw when she scored, and Rose frowned at the smattering of ‘boos’ coming from the Gryffindor section.  As much as she wanted Slytherin to win, for several reasons, she really wanted Diana to have a good match, knowing how important it was to her.

Her eyes fixed upon Scorpius once again, and she smiled uncontrollably when he winked as he flew past the Gryffindor section before circling back around, his eyes once again focused on the sky, looking for the Snitch.  She followed him, scanning the stands as he flew past the Hufflepuff section and across the way to the Slytherin section.  Her eyes widened when she noticed the man she’d accidentally run into sitting there in the Slytherin stands next to an equally impeccably dressed woman with long platinum hair on one side and on his other side was a man who looked very much like an older version of Scorpius sitting beside a very pretty woman also with pale blonde hair.

Rose gasped and instinctively grabbed Al’s hand.  “Oh my god,” she managed, her throat tightening as the two men she knew had to be Lucius and Draco Malfoy gazed across the pitch, staring in her direction, both of them frowning.

“What is it?” Al asked, concern evident in his voice.  “Rose?”

“Scorpius’s parents and grandparents are here,” she whispered as she leaned in to him, her eyes still focused on the group, although she was now looking at Scorpius’s mother, who looked to be the friendliest among them, seeing as she was smiling rather warmly at the woman sitting next to her as they carried on what appeared to be a jovial conversation.

“Where?” Al asked, following her line of vision.  “Oh.  Right.”  He looked back at Rose.  “Didn’t he tell you they were coming?”

Rose shook her head, not trusting her voice to answer at that precise moment. 

“Maybe he didn’t know,” Al reasoned and Rose shrugged.  He squeezed her hand gently.  “Don’t worry about it; it’ll be fine,” he assured her.  “It isn’t as if you have to meet them or anything.  Just keep away from him while they’re here.”

“Yeah, only I ran into his grandfather down there,” she said quietly, pointing to the entry way at the edge of the stands.  

He looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face.  “You did what?”

“I ran into him,” she repeated, her face burning.  “Literally.  I’d just left Scorpius in the changing rooms and was distracted.  Anyway, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and I ran into him.”

“Shit, Rose.  What did he say?”

“Nothing.”  She shook her head, feeling angry at the way he’d looked at her, now understanding why.  “He said nothing to me, not when I apologized, not when I handed him back his cane.  Nothing.  He just looked at me as if I was some horrid bug he’d like to squash and walked away.” 

“Do you think he knew it was you?”

Rose flipped her curls over one shoulder and pointed at her cheek.  “With this hair and these freckles, I’m sure he figured it was either me or Lily, which was undoubtedly confirmed when I sat down next to you.”  She took a deep breath.  “Oh this is just marvelous,” she said sardonically.  “Now all we need for a fantastic, fun-filled afternoon is for _my_ parents to show up, along with your parents and Gran and Granddad for good measure.”

“Well, take heart because I know for a fact _my_ parents won’t be coming,” Al offered.  “They’re on holiday in Greece for two weeks.  And Gran and Granddad are in France helping Victoire and Teddy get ready for the baby, remember?”

Rose sighed.  “Yeah, yeah, just being mental, I know.”  She chanced a peek back over at the Malfoys, who were thankfully no longer glaring her way, before turning her attention back to Scorpius, although despite her best intentions not to, she glanced back at them a couple of times before getting caught up once again in looking for the Snitch along with Scorpius.  It wasn’t long before she spotted it zipping through the air, at precisely the same time he saw it as well.  She cheered loudly as he streaked across the Pitch, his hands closing around the Snitch before Celeste had even caught up to him.  Both the Slytherin and Gryffindor sections erupted, and Rose threw herself at Al, hugging him tight, only to be pulled into a bear hug by James as soon as Al released her. 

Rose looked back to the Pitch and watched Scorpius holding the Snitch aloft, surrounded by his teammates.  She watched with immense affection when he nodded respectfully and held up the Snitch to his parents and grandparents, all of whom looked extremely proud, his mother waving proudly back.  But her heart swelled with emotion when Scorpius turned back toward her, flashing an apologetic yet very special grin and wink that Rose knew was especially for her – a promise of things to come – and a demonstration of how he felt about her, no matter who was watching. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

  **Chapter 9**  

“Oi! Over here!” Cameron called above the din with a wave. 

Rose barely heard Al’s “Come on!” as he grabbed her hand and led her through the throng of jovial students to the more intimate group congregating at the far end of the Common Room.

“Here,” James said as he thrust a glass containing a rather suspicious-looking amber liquid into Al’s hand with a wink and a smirk, clinking his identical glass against Al’s.  “We’re celebrating in style.”

He raised his glass in salute, waiting for Al and Cameron to follow suit before proclaiming ceremoniously, “To Gryffindor.”

Rose bit back both a giggle and a reprimand as the three of them toasted heartily, settling instead for a resigned yet affectionate sigh as she rolled her eyes playfully and hopped up on the edge of the table around which they stood.

“I can’t believe you started the toasts without me,” Simon lamented as he came up behind Rose, his own half-empty glass in one hand and a bottle of butterbeer in the other.

“I thought you might be thirsty,” he said, offering the bottle to her with a smile.  “Unless you want something stronger, that is.”

“No thanks,” she replied as she took it from his outstretched hand.  “This is perfect.  Thank you.”

“Sure,” he said, a slight flush on his cheeks.  “Tell me when you’re ready for another one, okay, and I’ll get it for you.”

“Thanks, Simon.”  

As she took a sip, she noticed that Cameron and James wore similar flushes and she wondered just how much Firewhisky they’d all had to drink already, although judging by the speed at which James was refilling Al’s glass in order to ‘catch him up,’ she figured it best not to ask.  And to be entirely truthful, so long as they didn’t get totally pissed and get her into trouble for not donning her Prefect badge and putting a stop to it, Rose had no intention of ruining anyone’s fun.  Just because her day had gone to shit didn’t mean she wanted to ruin everyone else’s as well.

She took another drink of her butterbeer, musing just how easy it was to go from feeling amazingly high to desperately low in only a matter of minutes.  From having Scorpius single her out in front of the entire school and acknowledge her so boldly in front of his parents and grandparents to feeling his grandfather’s glare upon her, his eyes narrowed, his face wearing the same disdainful sneer he had been wearing from the moment that Scorpius had dared to turn away from them and focus upon her instead before flying around the Pitch once more and heading to the changing rooms.

She’d wanted to look back so badly.  To fix upon him a defiant, smug look of her own.  To show him that he wasn’t getting to her.  

Only she hadn’t been able to do it.

Never before had any one person unnerved her the way Lucius Malfoy had.  Even as she sat there in the cozy and crowded Gryffindor common room, amid her friends and family and far away from him, she shivered thinking about how much he’d bothered her.  

She wasn’t sure if it was the knowledge that he’d been a Death Eater.  

Or the embarrassment that she’d actually run into him before the match due to her own lack of attentiveness.  

Or the discomfort of knowing that he had instantly and obviously disliked her.  

Or the glint of superiority mixed with extreme iciness that his gaze had held.

But whatever it was, it had given Rose a feeling unlike any she’d ever felt before and one that she never wanted to feel again.

Her whole day had been completely overwhelming, between going another day without an owl from her parents to Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup at the hands of her boyfriend to having her hopes of spending the afternoon together with Scorpius shattered when nearly his entire family had shown up.  And true to fashion, she’d worried and fretted about having to meet them throughout the entire match.  

Of course she’d known that _at some point_ she’d have to meet them.  After all, she was serious about her relationship with Scorpius and although she’d never considered herself to be an overly romantic person, thoughts of sharing a future with him – even of her dad walking her down the aisle – played through her mind more often than she cared to admit and she’d doodled _Mrs. Scorpius Malfoy_ a few too many times.  

But she’d never imagined having to meet them after being completely blindsided by their presence, nor had she anticipated having to meet all of them at once.  She’d thought that she’d have time to prepare, be ready for _whatever_ they might throw her way, instead of being off-guard and nervous and entirely ill-prepared for making a positive impression.  Although she did have to admit that meeting them in the midst of a crowd wouldn’t have necessarily been the worst thing because with so many people around, she didn’t think they’d want to be openly rude.

She’d also wondered if Scorpius had known that they were coming.  She recalled that when she’d gone to see him before the match in the changing room he’d been reading something, and she wondered if his parents had owled to tell him that they would be at his match today and would be bringing his grandparents with them.  But as she’d thought about it, she’d realized without a doubt that he would never have sprung something like that upon her without warning, especially knowing how apprehensive she was feeling about not having even heard back from _her_ parents.  And he _never_ would have suggested that they spend the afternoon alone in his room knowing that his parents and grandparents were going to be there.

After the match, she’d slowly followed Al out of the stands, watching as Scorpius’s parents led the way down the steep stairway with his grandparents following behind, Scorpius’s grandfather assisting his grandmother as they navigated the stairs, and when they reached the field and talked animatedly with Professor Zabini, her husband, and Rory’s sister, Bea, as they waited for Scorpius and Rory.  Nervousness had eaten at her until she finally observed the only member of the Malfoy family that she actually _wanted_ to see among the several people exiting the changing rooms.  And when he’d glanced around distractedly, as if looking for someone, she’d selfishly hoped it was her.  But he apparently hadn’t seen her and obviously wasn’t too concerned about not having found her, because after he’d been hugged tightly by his mother and then his grandmother, the whole lot of them, including the Zabinis, had slipped out of the Pitch and headed toward the castle.

So her worry had all been for naught, and even though she was, of course, relieved, she was also slightly unsettled – it had never occurred to her that he might not _want_ her to meet them, not after he’d pledged that he didn’t care what his family thought when it came to the two of them being together.

Rose unconsciously brushed her hair behind her ear before stroking the fringe of Scorpius’s scarf as she finished off her drink, thinking that perhaps she did want to partake in something a bit stronger after all.

“Did you see your dad?” James asked loudly as he clapped Cameron on the back with a somewhat drunken smile.  “I thought he might leap out of the stands when Malfoy started after the snitch.”

“Yeah,” Cameron agreed with a beaming grin from ear to ear as Al nodded enthusiastically and Simon agreed less ardently.  “He was so sure they’d pull it off that he’s already cleared a spot for the Cup on his shelf.  He couldn’t wait to get it back from Zabini.”

“Oh, but you have to feel bad for him,” Al interjected.  “She’ll never let him forget it was Slytherin who gave it back to us.”

Cameron groaned.  “You’re right.  Knowing her, she’ll convince Dad that he’s obligated to her or something.  Like she was the one who caught the bloody snitch herself…”

James sniggered loudly, retorting with some snide remark that Rose couldn’t decipher through his laughter although she wasn’t sure she wanted to know judging from the reactions he got from both Al and Cameron.

James threw an arm around Rose’s shoulders.  “Yeah, Malfoy really came through, didn’t he?  I don’t know, Rosie, maybe I was wrong about which of you is the second best Seeker in school.”  He arched an eyebrow teasingly.  “After all, he _has_ beaten you three times head to head.  You’ll have to beat him next year to have any claim on it.”

“ _I_ wasn’t the one proclaiming him second best.  But rest assured, I’ll beat him next year, too.”

James held his glass aloft.  “Yeah, to Rosie, next year’s Quidditch Captain who will deliver us once again from the tyranny of Slytherin domination.”

The boys laughed, and Rose snorted half-heartedly, a slight grin upon her lips, and a blush on her cheeks.  Thankfully, James took her lack of response as pride or embarrassment, and he laughed again before turning back to Cameron with a “Top me off, won’t you?”

Al slid over beside her and looked at his watch as he set his glass on the table.  “Hey, Rosie, I’m off.  You hanging around here for a while?”

She sighed.  “Yeah I guess so.”  

“The afternoon’s not going the way you planned, is it?”  He smiled sympathetically.  “I suppose you’re still nervous about having to meet _them_ , huh?  Even under the best of circumstances, it’s nerve wracking meeting someone’s parents for the first time.”  He shook his head slightly and his eyes narrowed.  “But this isn’t the best of circumstances is it?  And I saw how that arsehole kept staring at you.  What a prick!  No wonder Granddad hates him.”

Rose reached back and picked up Al’s abandoned glass.  “I don’t suppose I’m meeting them today, actually.”  She shrugged and brought the glass to her lips, downing the remaining liquid in one gulp, confirming that it was, in fact, Firewhisky.

“Oh,” Al said in surprise.  “Well, disaster averted then.  That’s a good thing.”  He nudged her arm with his.  “Wanna come with me to meet up with Ellie?”

“Hardly,” she said with a smirk.  “Don’t worry about me.  I’m sure I can find something to occupy my afternoon once those guys are so pissed they even forget I’m here.”

Al snorted and rolled his eyes.  “Just promise me you won’t spend the afternoon in the library, alright?  I’d rather you stay here and get pissed out of your mind than do any more homework this weekend.”

“Ha, ha,” she retorted.  “I’ll have you know that I – oh shit!”

“What?”

Rose huffed and slid off the table, shaking her head in frustration at her level of distraction today.  “Damn it.  I’ve got to go back to the Pitch.  I forgot my book bag in the changing room.”

“Why is your bag in the changing room?” 

“I had it at breakfast and went straight down after.”

“Just leave it,” Al suggested.  “No one will be going in there.”

Rose shook her head vehemently.  “I can’t risk it. My homework for the next month is in there.”

“Come on, then,” he said, taking her hand.  He shoved James’s shoulder.  “We’re out of here.”

She heard James reply, “Later,” and her eyes met Simon’s as she waved and mouthed, “See you,” following behind Al as he led her through the room.

She felt a tug on her arm when they were nearing the portrait hole, and she squeezed Al’s hand.  “You go on.  I’ll see you later,” she said with a smile as she turned back to Hugo.

“Hey!”

“I owled Dad about the Cup and some other stuff,” he said, their eyes meeting, “and he sent this back.  Asked me to give it to you.”

In his outstretched hand, Hugo held a brown envelope that Rose recognized immediately as her mother’s stationary, and her stomach lurched, admittedly only in part due to the Firewhisky that she’d just downed.  

Rose eyed it for a moment, almost hesitant to even touch it, as if her mother’s words might somehow burn her.  She bit her lip nervously as she finally took it from him and stuffed it into her front pocket. 

“Not here,” she said at his questioning look.  _Oh no_ , she thought, _I cannot do this here_.   _This_ letter had to be read in private, and the nice, quiet, deserted changing room would be the perfect place.

“Whatever,” he said with a shrug.  “Where are you going?”

“To get something I forgot.  I’ll see you later.”

Hugo nodded his acknowledgment, and Rose exited into the very quiet corridor and started down the staircase, deep in thought.  She really wanted to see Scorpius, and however absurd it was, she found herself growing angrier at his parents for even showing up and ruining their plans.

She was just about to descend the marble staircase when she heard a voice below that she’d never heard before but sounded vaguely familiar nevertheless.  “We will see you on the third at Kings Cross,” he stated, and Rose knew without a doubt that it had to be Scorpius’s father.  “We’ll continue this discussion then.”

She heard Scorpius’s angry reply of “Fine,” followed by something else that she could not make out.  She held on to the banister and leaned over, catching a glimpse of three heads of pale blond hair before backing up as quickly and as quietly as she could against the wall and out of sight, although she could still hear them.  _Oh god_ , she thought, _please don’t let them see me._ Unconsciously, her hand fell to her front pocket and that crumpled brown envelope.

“Scorpius –” his father started, warning evident in his voice.

“I’m going outside with Mother and Grandmother,” Scorpius interrupted with a huff.  “Or is that unsatisfactory as well?”

Rose heard him stomp away and the sound of the doors creaking and then slamming shut.

“Tsk, tsk,” a second man remarked in an equally silky, entirely condescending tone, and Rose found herself scowling just at the sound of his voice, knowing with certainty to whom it belonged.  “Such impertinence.  Now do you see why I suggested you send him to Durmstrang?  It would appear that the _company_ he has been keeping has had a negative effect on his manners as well as his judgment.”   

_What_?  _The company he has been keeping_ …Rose knew without a doubt that remark applied to her.  She bit her lip, deciding right then and there that she absolutely detested Scorpius’s grandfather and the next time she saw her Granddad, she was going to personally thank him not only for being the best grandfather ever but for once having punched Lucius Malfoy in the face.

“Oh yes, Father, and I am sure that Hanna would be _positively delighted_ by that suggestion.  If you will recall, she was quite adamant that he _did not_ attend Durmstrang, seeing as she despised it herself.  And I have no intention of alienating my wife simply to assuage your regrets from my childhood,” Scorpius’s father retorted sarcastically as they finally exited through the front doors to the castle.

Rose’s mind raced as she descended the stairs and out the front doors, almost sprinting toward the Quidditch Pitch.  How could they even contemplate sending him to Durmstrang?  He couldn’t leave Hogwarts.  Not when he was a shoo-in for Head Boy the next year, and Slytherin’s team would be lost without him. Not with N.E.W.T.s next year.  

He belonged here.  With her.

Although, thankfully, it sounded as if his parents weren’t too keen on him leaving either.  She watched them on up the pathway, already nearing the front gates to the school as she slipped, unnoticed, through the gates to the Pitch, and with that thought, Rose instinctively liked them a little bit more.  

She ventured into the changing room and retrieved her bag from her locker before taking a seat on the bench and pulling out the letter from her parents.  Her hands trembled slightly as she opened it, recognizing the very familiar handwriting of her dad at once.

_It’s from Dad?  Oh fuck_ , she thought, and as her eyes scanned the very brief note, her anxiety and confusion worsened.

_Rose,_

_Hugo says you’re going mental because we haven’t responded to your owl last week, but Mum and I didn’t think you wanted one.  Like you said, we’ll discuss it when you’re home next weekend._

_Love, Dad_    

“That’s it?” she muttered incredulously.  Rose had truly expected a much more detailed response from her mother, and the fact that _she_ hadn’t been the one to actually respond was bothersome.  When had Mum ever not taken a chance to speak her mind?  If she didn’t do so immediately upon learning information, it usually only meant one of two things:  that she didn’t know enough about the subject matter and she wanted to fully research it before giving a response, or she was caught so off-guard that she needed time to digest the information before offering an appropriate reaction.  In this case, her mum obviously understood the basics of Rose having a boyfriend, so it had to be that she was so shocked and horrified that she hadn’t been able to formulate a suitable comeback.

And then there was Dad’s comment that they hadn’t thought she wanted a response.  _What a load of bunk!_ she thought irritably.  She couldn’t remember a single time in her entire life that either of her parents had ever not responded to something just because someone hadn’t wanted them to.  They were two of the most openly opinionated people she’d ever known, and it was difficult for either of them to keep from expressing those opinions often.

No, this was bad. 

“Bloody fucking hell!” she exclaimed, folding the note and stuffing it this time into her back pocket.   

Rose dropped her head into her hands and took a deep breath, tears dripping between her fingers.

She only had _eight days_ until they left for home.  

Eight days until the confrontation with her parents that she’d been dreading for weeks.  

Eight days until the break that she really hadn’t wanted to arrive.  

Eight days to prepare for whatever might come.  

Eight days to pretend that they weren’t facing something that Rose anticipated would be harder than anything else she’d ever experienced, even if only because of the inherent difficulties associated with her becoming an adult and being capable of making her own choices.  

Only one hundred ninety-two hours.  

Only eleven thousand five hundred twenty minutes.  

Only six hundred thousand nine hundred twelve seconds.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, allowing all of her frustrations and anger and disappointment and regrets to wash over her, but finally, her tears ceased and even though she felt exhausted, she felt lighter than she had in a while.  She wiped her face as she stood, pulling the strap of her book bag over her shoulder.  

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she turned to go and sighed heavily.  She looked atrocious, between her messy windblown hair and her now very puffy, very red eyes.  Without hesitation, she pulled her wand from her pocket and performed a hangover charm before turning to go back up to the castle.

And stopping in her tracks.  For there, standing in the doorway to the changing room watching her was Scorpius, his arms crossed, his hair hanging in his face, his eyebrow cocked, his eyes blazing, and his lips curled in that cocky smirk that she loved so much.

Her breath caught and she had to fight the urge to drop her bag to the floor, rush over to him, and fling herself into his arms. 

“Scorpius?  What you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” he said simply.  “And I could ask you the same thing.”  

“I, uh,” she held up the strap of her book bag, “had to come back for my bag.”  She fixed him with a curious gaze.  “How did you know I was here?”

He shrugged.  “I went up to the Tower first, and your brother said you’d gone.  Then I saw Al going to lunch and he said you were heading this way last he saw you.  I took my chances you were still down here.”  His expression changed to one of concern as he walked toward her.  “Are you alright?  Did I just hear you perform a hangover charm?”

“Yeah, well, I had a bit of Firewhiskey earlier.”  She paused, then pulled the brown folded paper from her back pocket and held it out to him.  “And I got this from my dad.” 

“Oh?” he asked, taking the letter from her hand and skimming over it quickly before handing it back.  “A bit anti-climactic, wouldn’t you say?”

Rose shrugged, shoving the paper into her bag.  “Yeah, it looks that way, but the fact that it’s from _my dad_ is worrisome.”

Scorpius nodded.  “It’s usually your mother who writes to you, those long, thorough letters, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

He slowly slid the strap of her book bag down her arm and dropped it at their feet before wrapping his arms around her and brushing his lips against her temple.  “It’ll be fine, Rose.  I promise you.  We’ll make them understand.”

“Of course we will,” she agreed.  She leaned up and kissed his cheek softly before sliding her lips over his, catching the sympathetic yet knowing lilt in his voice.  “Thank you for making me feel better.”

“Anytime,” he whispered, kissing her again, deeper this time, running his fingers under the hem of her jumper.

“So,” she said, taking a deep breath, “I’ll bet you got a rousing ovation at the Tower.”  She wanted to lighten the mood a bit as the feel of his fingers sliding along her skin was making her think much more pleasant thoughts.

“Not quite, but I think I’m welcome in Gryffindor Tower these days,” Scorpius chuckled, relief evident in his voice, as he grinned at her.  “It was some match, wouldn’t you say?”

“You were amazing,” she said softly.

“So glad to do my part for mighty Gryffindor,” he retorted.  “Although I paid dearly for it, I assure you.”  

“What do you mean?”

Scorpius shrugged at her puzzled expression.  “I’ve just spent much of the afternoon hearing Grandfather’s same old tirade about the pathetic education I’m receiving at an inferior school, headed by an entirely too liberal woman who stands for ridiculous notions such as looser admission standards and House-unity.”

Rose watched him carefully.  She could see the pained expression in his eyes, despite the forced levity of his tone.  She was contemplating whether to go ahead and tell him that she’d overheard them in the Entrance Hall earlier discussing this very thing when he chuckled sardonically.  “Of course, you can imagine his horror when I informed him that I rather enjoy the way things are and that I have more friends in the other Houses than I do in Slytherin, the majority of them, including my girlfriend, in Gryffindor.”

Rose’s eyes widened.  “You said that?”

He sighed.  “Yeah, well, I won’t hear the end of it for a while.  Especially once he figured out that you are who you are.  And Father was none too thrilled that I told Grandfather either, because now he won’t hear the end of it either.”

“It sounds awful,” she said, brushing his hair away from his forehead, unable to resist smiling slightly when he leaned into her hand.  “Was it?”

“It wasn’t fun,” he admitted, “but it could’ve been worse.  I’m just glad they’ve gone.  Although Mother thinks you’re lovely.”

“She does?” Rose asked, her eyes wide, a blush rising up her cheeks.  “How do you know?”

Scorpius sniggered.  “She told me, silly.  I pointed you out to her.”

“Oh.”  Rose grinned self-consciously.  “She looks really nice.  And I know my Auntie Fleur really likes her.”

“Yeah.”  He grabbed her wrist and kissed her palm. “I saw you leaving with Al.  You’re not upset that I didn’t introduce you, are you?”

Rose shook her head.  

“Good.”  He smiled uneasily at her as he sat down on the bench and pulled her by the belt-loops to stand between his legs facing him.  “I was hoping to keep them away from you today.”

“Oh,” she said, confusion in her voice.  “Really?”  She’d been so concerned about _having_ to meet them that it never even occurred to her that he might not have wanted her to.  And this thought was unsettling – why wouldn’t he want his family to meet her?  “Why didn’t you want me to meet them?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” he said, sliding his hands down to her hips.  “I do want you to meet them.  Eventually.  Just not today.”  He paused hesitantly.  “I thought it might be better if we’d had more time to prepare for it.  I mean, it’s going to be awkward enough as it is, but to make you meet them when we were both surprised by them being here would’ve made it worse, you know?  I know I wouldn’t want to meet your parents like that.”

_God, I love him_ , she thought as she leaned down and kissed him.  Scorpius tugged her into his lap, took her face between his hands, and kissed her deeply.  She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and crushed her mouth against his, refusing to separate for more than a few seconds to catch a breath.

Even after they finally broke apart, he continued holding her face, his thumbs gliding along her cheekbones as he looked deeply into her eyes.  “What was that for?”

“Do I need a reason to kiss you?” she asked softly, her fingers playfully threading through his hair at the nape of his neck.

“Of course not,” he chuckled.  “Just tell me what I have to do in order for you to kiss me like that again.”

She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss against his lips.  “Nothing,” she whispered.  “You don’t have to _do_ _anything_.  Just being you is enough.”

His hands slipped down to finger the scarf wrapped around her neck.  “Don’t you want this back?” she asked, beginning to slide it off.

“No,” he said, stilling her hand.  “I told you, I like you in Slytherin colors.”  He chuckled at her blush.  ”I think you’re beautiful,” he said, his eyes fixed upon her.  He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.  “And brilliant.”  His lips began moving along her jaw, and she closed her eyes.  “And I _really_ want to do what we planned on doing this afternoon.”  He took her earlobe between his teeth and her head instinctively fell back.   

Her quick _Colloportus_ upon the doorway flaps followed by her hands directing his lips back to hers and the kiss she placed upon them was all the acquiescence he required.

*  *  *  *  

“I’ll owl you every day,” Scorpius promised earnestly, threading one hand into her hair, the other clutching her waist tightly. 

Rose didn’t reply; instead, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his body against hers, pressing their lips together, and kissing him with abandon.  She needed this – needed him – and she wanted to impart to him just how much.

Against her will, April third had arrived, and before she knew it, they were making the trek to Hogsmeade and embarking the Hogwarts Express.  Once Prefect patrols were finished, the six-hour train ride was half over, and Rose had known with absolute certainty that the _last_ thing she wanted to do was go and sit in a compartment with her brother and her cousins and her friends.  Instead, she’d wanted to spend the next three hours – their last three carefree hours – alone with Scorpius.

And not only to snog him like mad, as she was currently.  She’d wanted to talk and laugh and yes, snog, but her main objective was simply to be together, to take advantage of this time before she wouldn’t see him for at least a few days.

The thought of not seeing him every day depressed her.  Perhaps it hadn’t been the wisest decision, but for the previous eight days, they’d been spending every minute of free time they had together; almost as if they’d forged an unspoken pact not to waste any time that could be spent together by being apart.

But after patrols, he’d dutifully spent half an hour hanging out with Rory and Trenton and Darwin and Bernie in their compartment before joining her and dutifully spending nearly another hour talking with Al and James and Hugo and Fred and Ellie and Diana in _their_ compartment.  And then they’d excused themselves, without pretense, and were now pressed tightly against each other in a storage compartment.

Only when the train began slowing did their mouths separate, although their bodies remained tightly intertwined, both of them reluctant to let go.

“Do you think you can sneak away one day?  To meet me in Diagon Alley?” she asked quietly, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.  

“Just say when, and I promise I’ll be there.”

Rose smiled, even though she felt as though she wanted to be sick now that the train was coming to a halt.  “Good,” she whispered.  

They looked at each other seriously for a moment, and Rose knew that she felt as forlorn as Scorpius looked, hoping that he understood just how awful it was to be leaving him.  She leaned forward and placed a very soft kiss against his lips.

His eyes clouded slightly, and his fingers brushed along her cheek once more before sliding into her hair.  “I love you, Rose.  No matter what else, you have to know that.”

Rose was overwhelmed at his intensity, and she felt a lump in her throat as she softly replied, “I know, I love you, too.”

They remained like that for just a moment, and then reluctantly parted.  

Rose tucked her shirt back into the waistband of her skirt and attempted to smooth down her hair as she watched Scorpius straighten himself as well.

“I think I’m going to be ill.”

He snorted nervously.  “Yeah, me too.”  He sighed.  “I probably shouldn’t have snogged you right before meeting your parents, but I couldn’t help myself.  Not when I won’t see you for a whole week.”  

“I thought _I_ snogged you,” she giggled.  “And you will see me, remember?  You just promised to meet me in Diagon Alley.”

“It will still be too long.  Even if it’s tomorrow.  I like seeing you every day.  I liked sleeping with you last night.  And I especially liked waking up with you this morning.”  He paused, and she noticed that very rare slight blush on his cheeks.  “I could really get used to that.  Although maybe not in the common room.  As nice as it was falling asleep and staying with you all night, next time, I want to sleep with you properly, in bed, and wake up only to you and not my stupid housemates.”  Even the knowledge that they had to leave the compartment, disembark the train, and face her parents didn’t stop her from kissing him again.  She still wasn’t completely used to his admitting such intimate feelings to her, and whenever he did, she was simply unable to resist kissing or touching him.    

But before it got too intense again, Scorpius pulled away.  “We’ve got to go, Rose.  I don’t want to either, but we have to.  I’m not going to have your dad come looking for us and find me snogging you.”

Rose shuddered at the thought.  “Okay, let’s go.”

The train was still fairly crowded, thankfully, and she allowed Scorpius to pull her by the hand back to the Prefect compartment to get their things and to share one last quick kiss that ended up being not quite so quick after all.  And with her shoulders squared, she took a deep breath and stepped off the train with Scorpius right behind her.  

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**  

“…and then Hortense, the cow, she actually had the nerve to say that it was _my idea_ that she put pink bubbles in Professor Zabini’s cauldron,” Lily ranted indignantly to her mother.  “Remember, I owled you about that?  Well, thankfully, Headmistress Vector overheard the whole thing and stopped Zabini from giving me detention, too.”

Rose shifted in her seat impatiently and looked over at Al, who rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and mouthed ‘Will she ever shut up?’ to which she nodded with an eye-rolling of her own, seriously wanting to scream and doing so silently in her head.  She leaned her head back against the headrest and glanced around the interior of her dad’s car, which had, years ago, been magically enlarged by himself, her Uncle Harry, and her Granddad Weasley to fit up to twenty people if necessary.

Across from her, Lily sat scrunched up next to Auntie Ginny, her hands moving in tandem with her mouth.  Since climbing into the car nearly half an hour before and convincing her mother to join them in the backseat to James’s delight as he’d jumped into the front seat and to the chagrin of the others, Lily had been talking almost non-stop in an attempt, Rose was sure, to fill Auntie Ginny in on _every single_ detail of the past three months before they even got out of London.  Hugo had, fortunately for him, fallen asleep and his snores occasionally merged with Lily’s voice.  Rose periodically heard her parents, Uncle Harry, and James chuckling and chatting from the front seat, but she couldn’t actually make out anything they were talking about.  And since Auntie Ginny was in the back with them, Rose didn’t dare risk a _Muffilato_ so she could talk with Al.

But she desperately wanted to.  

She needed to discuss with him exactly what had just happened at Kings Cross.  

Because although she hadn’t been sure _what_ she’d expected to happen, this _hadn’t_ been it.

Rose’s gaze shifted to Hugo, his head back and his mouth open, and she bit back a giggle at the sight of drool at the corner of his mouth.  She turned her head to look at Al, but she could no longer see his face, as he was buried behind _The Daily Prophet_.  Her eyes fell upon a photograph on the back page of the Chudley Cannons’ seeker, Elspeth Jones, celebrating the Cannons’ latest win, and she chuckled quietly, recalling her dad’s not-so-thrilled reaction when she’d joined the team right before Christmas and his changed opinion since she was actually leading the team towards the playoffs this year.

She turned her head and glanced briefly at the darkening sky then closed her eyes, ignoring Lily’s incessant talking and Auntie Ginny’s interspersed replies and Hugo’s snores and the sound of Al turning the pages of the paper, lost in thought about what had happened at Kings Cross.  She felt herself drifting off, and despite her best efforts and her absolute belief at the time that she would _never_ forget precisely what had been said, she was, in fact, unable to recall everything unequivocally, no matter how hard she tried, and the events were merging into what seemed like a foggy dream as she drifted into her memories, although certain moments remained crystal clear.

For weeks now, anytime she actually allowed herself to think about what might happen when she and Scorpius met each other’s parents, she’d envisioned varied scenarios, most often one in which their dads were openly rude and refused to even acknowledge them and their mums were overtly cold and distant, and by the end of it all, her dad and Mr. Malfoy had ended up rolling around on the floor of the platform punching each other as other students and their parents cheered them on. 

Not once, however, had Rose dreamed that it might actually go what she had to call _smoothly_.

From the moment she’d stepped off the train, her heart pounded and leapt into her throat both from Scorpius’s body brushing innocently against her back when he stepped to the ground behind her and from the sight of her family – all of them – as they stood together close to the barrier at the far end of the platform.

And despite her apprehension, she’d felt an inordinate amount of affection for each of them and was unable to contain her smile as she watched them:  Lily talking animatedly to Uncle Harry, beaming up at him and leaning in to hug him every few words; Fred and Hugo explaining something of obvious importance judging by the looks of determination on their faces to Uncle George and Rose’s dad with her mum and Auntie Katie looking on, shaking their heads and rolling their eyes playfully; James and Al coming up behind Auntie Ginny and surprising her with a loud ‘Boo!’ into each ear, causing her to jump and most likely curse, if the sniggers erupting through the entire group had been any indication.

“That’s them over there, isn’t it?” he asked, nudging her gently and nodding in the direction of her family.  

“Hmm hmm.”  

“There are too damn many of them.”

Rose giggled nervously and looked over at him, noting the uncertainty in his eyes as he studied them.  They _were_ an intimidating brood.  “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”

She’d _known_ , of course, that they’d all be there – Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny and Uncle George and Auntie Katie – to get their own kids and that all of the adults would be there _together_ , waiting for them to exit the train, but it hadn’t actually occurred to her to _think_ about it.

“Up until this year, there were even more,” she continued, “but now that Paul and Therese have finished, it’s just the six of _them_.”  She looked back and her grin widened at the sight of her dad laughing heartily as he elbowed George hard in the ribs, his other hand casually gripping her mum’s shoulder.  

“And your dad’s the really tall one, right?  With the beard?” Scorpius asked, his voice unnaturally high, which only fueled her anxiety even more.  

“Yeah.”  She turned back to him, noting the actual trepidation on his face, and smiled gently.  “We don’t _have_ to do this today, you know.  We can do it another time.”  She glanced around nervously at her family once more and then back to him.  “I don’t know; maybe we _should_ wait.  Until it’s just Mum and Dad and not so many people…”

He brushed a stray curl behind her ear as he shook his head.  “There’s no time like the present, right?  Besides, neither of our fathers would dare hex each other, or us, in front of everyone here, would they?  I think this works to our advantage to go ahead and get it over with.”

Rose giggled.  “And you’re always looking for an advantage, aren’t you?” 

“Of course,” he said quietly, arching an eyebrow and smirking at her, the first ‘genuinely him’ expression she’d seen on his face since they’d stepped off the train.

“Speaking of your dad, have you seen your parents?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

“No, not yet.”  Scorpius’s smirk faded.  “Which is all the more reason to go ahead and meet up with yours.”  

Yet, despite his bravado, he gulped audibly when she grabbed at his shirt sleeve and motioned for him to follow her as they made their way through the crowd, and it was all she could do not to stop and throw her arms around him as he stared nervously at her dad the entire way.  And although they didn’t hold hands, Rose took a great deal of comfort in the fact that each of them consciously brushed their arms together, their hands touching subtly every so often.

She wasn’t sure who of the group saw them first but they’d turned almost in unison as she and Scorpius neared, a chorus of greetings ringing out.  Rose immediately found Al amongst the group, giving him a nervous smile that he returned with an encouraging one and a wink, before she focused her gaze upon the two people who she most wanted to please…upon the one person whose opinion mattered most of all.  

Despite the butterflies in her stomach and the lump in her throat, she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face when their eyes met and she’d squeaked “Dad” as she instinctively threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, lingering for a moment to feel his beard against her face.  And she’d nearly cried with relief when he hugged her back tightly with a joking, ‘It’s good to see you, Rosie Posie,’ thinking that she couldn’t remember the last time he’d used that old nickname for her.

Her emotions were already a garbled mess when she’d turned hopefully to her mum, who embraced her just as tightly with a warm ‘welcome home.’  And her mum had smiled gently as she cupped Rose’s cheek, even as something looking a bit like uncertainty crossed her eyes.

Rose had then offered a smile and a ‘hullo’ to everyone else, receiving responses in kind from everyone along with a reassuring wink from her Auntie Ginny, but before it could get too awkward, she’d gestured towards Scorpius, stammering, “I, uh, Mum and Dad…this is –” 

“Scorpius Malfoy,” he said, stepping up boldly and holding out his hand to her dad, a sincere and determined look on his face.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Weasley.”  

And to Rose’s astonishment, her dad had actually almost _smiled_ – not his usual no-holds-barred-Ron-Weasley beam, of course, but a polite, somewhat surprised, this-kid’s-got-guts half-grin – as he shook Scorpius’s hand.

Scorpius then turned to her mum.  “And you, Mrs. Weasley,” he said sincerely, extending his hand.  “My mother has spoken of you highly.”  

“Thank you, Scorpius,” her mum replied graciously, and Rose was more than pleased to see her mum smile a less forced version than she’d expected and to see it almost reach her eyes.  “I’ve always enjoyed your mother’s company a great deal.”

As she watched him take over and introduce himself to her uncles and aunts, noticeably relaxing as each moment passed, Rose smiled at him brightly and interlaced her fingers with his, understanding how badly he wanted to make a good first impression on her family, and especially her parents, and loving him all the more for appearing to have pulled it off.  And she might have relaxed herself had she not seen her dad’s pointed stare as it drifted down to their interlocked hands before catching her mother’s eye, but as it was, she was still far too on edge, and she could only even laugh half-heartedly when James stepped in front of Scorpius and exaggeratedly introduced himself as ‘James Potter, God of All Things Quidditch.’

Everything just had a very surreal feel to it, and she was afraid to truly believe that it was happening this easily.  It was all going _too_ well and everyone was being _too_ polite.  And although she was grateful, she couldn’t shake the weird feeling about it all, and a phrase that she’d heard often from Nana Granger – ‘if something seems too good to be true, it usually is’ – ran through her head.

And it was only a moment or two later that Scorpius visibly tensed, his hand squeezing hers tightly as his resigned gaze fixed over her shoulder, and Rose knew, unequivocally, who was approaching behind her, and her heart dropped into her stomach as she anxiously told herself ‘I knew it – too good to be true.’  Her feelings intensified as everyone suddenly became a little _too_ quiet and a veil of tension fell over their entire group.  Uncle Harry looked around and sent one of _those_ looks to Rose’s dad, who had noticeably stiffened, and Rose saw her mum tightly gripping her dad’s arm, a very forced smile plastered on her face as Scorpius’s parents walked up and joined their group.

His dad eyed him knowingly as he approached, wearing a smirk not entirely unlike the one Rose found so appealing on his son.  “Your mother thought we might find you here.  And so you are.” 

He turned and nodded to Rose’s dad and her Uncle Harry as he offered a somewhat civil, “Potter, Weasley,” to which they simultaneously replied “Malfoy,” at the same time that Scorpius’s mum reached over and touched her mum’s free hand and they greeted each other pleasantly by name before Mrs. Malfoy turned to greet Rose’s dad and the rest of their group.  Rose noticed that her mum and Scorpius’s dad did not acknowledge each other at all, but the thought was quickly swept from her mind when Scorpius’s mother looked at her expectantly.

“Scorpius,” she said in a soft, genteel voice, a slight Scandinavian accent still detectable, “where are your manners?”

A slight flush fell over his cheeks, and he squeezed Rose’s hand tightly, his eyes focused entirely on his mother.  “Mother, Father, this is Rose.”  

As he made the introductions, Scorpius seemed remarkably uncomfortable and much less confident, as if he’d been dreading _this_ moment more than meeting her parents, and Rose vividly recalled not only her Auntie Ginny’s words that it would be much worse for him than for her but also the scathing looks she’d received from Scorpius’s grandfather the week before.

Thankfully, his mother was extremely pleasant; her smile taking in both of them as he proudly pulled Rose forward to meet her.  She shook Rose’s hand gently and Rose found herself understanding how her Auntie Fleur had so many wonderful things to say about working with her and why her own mother often called her ‘such a lovely woman,’ and she warmed to Mrs. Malfoy more than she ever would have imagined possible.  

And unbelievably, Rose’s very positive reaction to meeting Scorpius’s mother was only slightly tempered by his father’s obviously forced but excruciatingly polite “Charmed,” in the silky smooth drawl that she remembered as being so familiar to his son’s.

“And you, Mr. Malfoy,” she’d replied with as much graciousness as she could muster, painfully aware that her entire family was watching and hoping beyond hope that the overwhelming tension she could feel permeating through the group was the worst thing that would happen.

Amazingly, it had been.  Almost immediately after the introductions, Mr. Malfoy took his wife by the elbow and motioned for his son to follow, stating that they were already late as it was and to come along.  Once more, he nodded a farewell to Rose’s family as Scorpius’s mother wished them all a pleasant evening.

Scorpius gripped her hand tightly and looked at her pleadingly, pulling her just a step away from her family, his own parents already several meters down the platform.  “I’ll see you,” he said quietly, as he leaned down to barely brush his lips against her cheek before quickly pulling away from her at his father’s curt, “Scorpius!”  

What she had really wanted to do was say ‘sod it all,’ grab him by the shirt collar, and kiss him full on the mouth.  But instead, she watched as he caught up to them and fell in line on his mother’s other side before she turned back to her own family.  They’d begun piling their bags onto the trolley, none of them paying any mind to her and Scorpius other than her mum, who was gazing at her sadly, and her dad, who was staring at Scorpius’s retreating back, a look of barely controlled anger evident on his face that subsided somewhat when he caught Rose’s eye.

“Ready there, Rosie?”

Her eyes flew open, and she sat up with a jolt as Al lightly touched her shoulder.  “Hey.  We’re here.”

“Already?” she asked, disoriented.  “That was quick.”

“Only when you’re sleeping,” Al sniggered as he climbed out, only to be pushed aside by James who stuck his head inside the open doorway.

“Move it, Sleeping Beauty.  It’s time to party.”  He thumped Al’s arm.  “Race you inside – Auntie Hermione’s got treacle tart.”

Rose watched them shove each other a couple of times as they went inside.  She stretched and exited the car, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she thought, ‘ _Welcome home_ ’ and followed Al and James into her house for what promised to be another late night she was sure, just as it was anytime their families got together.

 * * * 

Sunlight shone through the sheer draperies adorning her window as she rolled over and grabbed her watch from the bedside table.  7:42 a.m.  Rose groaned, burying her face in her pillow.  Mornings always came too early in her opinion, and considering it was her holiday and the fact that it was well after midnight when the Potters finally flooed home, she’d have thought she would sleep at least until nine.  

She rolled over and stretched, her arms out to her sides, her legs sliding along the crisp smooth sheets.  Her lips curved into a shy smile as her hands ran over the green and silver emblem on the pocket of the shirt she’d swiped from Scorpius earlier in the week, recalling the night she’d taken it from him, which led her to thoughts of all the different places that they’d shagged over the previous week, and ended with the memory of where she’d slept the night before they left and waking up to him brushing her hair away and kissing along the back of her neck.  And although they’d been fully dressed, obviously, since they were in the Slytherin common room, the whole thing had felt tremendously intimate, and her cheeks flushed at the memory of how aroused he’d been as he pressed against her, the two of them still lying together on the couch snogging as if there was no tomorrow until they were so rudely interrupted by a group of second years on their way to breakfast.

_Oh heavens_ , she couldn’t wait to see him again, and the thought that it might be days until they were able to meet up in Diagon Alley was somewhat depressing.  She’d become so accustomed to being with him every day, she wondered how awful it would be to go days without seeing him, hearing his voice, touching him.  She’d even thought, briefly, about asking her parents if she could invite him down for a day, but she quickly squelched that thought as being perhaps her most barmy idea ever.  

It wasn’t as if she’d actually _spoken_ to her parents about him, and although she could guess, at this point, she wasn’t entirely sure what her parents thought about him.  Their actual meeting had gone well enough, but the tension she’d felt did not totally abate until after they arrived at home, and she’d spent the evening playing a marathon game of exploding snap with her cousins and Hugo.  Plus, she’d noticed her dad looking at her oddly at different times, and her mum had seemed distracted all evening, and although Hugo assured her that she was, once again, being a self-absorbed mental cow, her gut told her that her parents weren’t entirely their normal selves.  But with the Potters there, they hadn’t had an opportunity to talk, and by the time everyone had gone, she was so exhausted that she couldn’t have stayed awake for a discussion even if she’d tried.

But no one else would be there this morning, and Rose decided that she did not want this thing with Scorpius hanging over her head for the duration of her trip.  She needed to just get it over with and have that talk with her parents – to get everything out in the open so that maybe she could relax and actually enjoy being home this week.

She climbed out of bed unceremoniously and, seeing as Scorpius’s shirt only just covered her bum, pulled on a pair of orange Cannons knit shorts that she’d confiscated from Hugo last summer.  Just as she finished, she was halted by the arrival of a large tawny owl that she recognized at once, and with an excited smile on her face, Rose quickly crossed the room and pulled open the window to allow the owl to enter.  She took the letter and, to her own owl’s loudly expressed consternation, gave him several of her treats.

“It’s okay, Athena,” she said, stroking her owl’s soft brown feathers as she watched his owl fly away.  “You know it was nice of you to share with Orion.”  

Even though Rose knew who it was from, her heart jumped as she turned the envelope over in her hand and ran her fingers over her name penned in his very precise script.  She sat back on her bed, leaning against the headboard, and began to read, her smile growing even wider.

_My Dearest Rose,_  

_Parting was such sweet sorrow.  (You see, didn’t I tell you I’ve been paying attention in Muggle Studies?)_  

_Father’s informed me that we’re expected at my grandparents’ house for the rest of the week.  (You can imagine my delight at this.)  I told Mother I had plans to meet friends in Diagon Alley one day this week, and she convinced him to wait until tomorrow so that I could go today.  (And I’m positive she knows it’s you.)_  

_Say you’ll meet me.  If you can’t come, I won’t see you until we’re back at school next week, and I really don’t want to wait that long.  (Have I said I miss you?)_  

_You don’t have to owl me back.  Just meet me at Flourish & Blotts at __10:00_ _.  I’ll probably be there for a while, in case you can’t get there so early._  

_Please come.  Do whatever you it takes in order to be there._  

_Love,_ _Scorpius_   

Rose was determined.  She was going to meet him in Diagon Alley no matter what it took to convince her parents to let her go alone.  She sighed and rolled her eyes; they’d always been what her mum called ‘cautious’ but Rose thought a more accurate term was ‘overprotective.’ 

She placed Scorpius’s letter under her pillow before venturing downstairs.  She passed by Hugo’s closed door, knowing that he’d be in bed until sometime in the early afternoon, and continued on past her parents’ bedroom, which was notably empty.  Rose smiled; her mum got up at 6:30 a.m. every morning, whether she was working or not, and she always ensured that Rose’s dad was awake by 7:00 a.m. as well.

The door to the kitchen was slightly ajar.  Rose pushed it open and saw the back of her mum’s head as she sat in her usual spot with her back to the door, reading _The_ _Prophet_.  Her dad was stepping into the Floo, saying, “It shouldn’t take more than an hour.  Two, tops.”

Rose heard her mum reply “Hmm hmm” immediately before the sound of the Floo, and she watched her set what was now a half-eaten slice of toast on the plate in front of her before reaching for her coffee.  Rose smiled to herself, amazed that her mum was drinking from that ugly old misshapen mug that Rose made when she was four, with the help of a nine year old Karla, and had presented to her mum on her 30th birthday.

Rose offered a cheery “Morning, Mum,” as she came up behind her and quickly kissed her mother’s cheek before walking over to the counter and reaching into the cupboard for a mug.  She didn’t dare _Accio_ her coffee like she would have had it been her dad in the kitchen, knowing from experience that her mum would have thrown a fit if she’d used magic for something so basic.

“I can’t believe you’re still using that ghastly thing.  I thought the last time Hugo broke it, you’d finally pitched it like you should have when I first gave it to you.”

“Nonsense,” her mum replied, setting down the paper.  “My morning coffee wouldn’t taste the same in anything else.”

“Oh please,” Rose scoffed jokingly, albeit extremely pleased.  She turned, raising the pot in question, and her mother nodded.  

After topping her off and grabbing an apple, Rose fell into the chair opposite her mum and pulled her knees up, noticing her mother’s arched eyebrow right away.  “What?” she mumbled, her mouth half-full with the bite of apple she’d just taken.

“Your knees, for starters, Rose.  And please don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Rose swallowed and sighed in irritation but shifted nevertheless, bringing her legs down and making a production of crossing them.  “Better?”  

“Much.  Thank you.”

“Where’d Dad go?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

“He had an emergency owl from _Genevieve_ this morning,” her mum replied in a somewhat aggravated tone, picking up her paper again.  “He and Harry had to do something for Kingsley right away.  But he shouldn’t be more than an hour or two.”

Rose nodded and took another bite of her apple.  She knew her mother was less than fond of Minister Shackelbolt’s assistant, having overheard her numerous complaints about the woman’s actual usefulness over the years.  They sat in silence for a few moments, Rose watching as her mum read the paper, the only noises in the room that of the pages ruffling and Rose crunching.

“So,” her mum said finally, folding the paper and laying it on the table, “what do you plan to do with yourself this week?  You’ll need to visit your Nana – I thought perhaps we’d go tomorrow, provided I can get Hugo out of bed before noon – and we’ll be at the Burrow all day on Sunday, but otherwise, the week is yours.  Do you have any specific plans?”

“Sort of,” Rose answered.  _Sound confident_ , she thought, _even if you have to fake it_.  “Ellie wants me to come to her house at some point, and I…I want to go to Diagon Alley today.”

“What’s in Diagon Alley?” her mum asked in a curious yet suspicious voice.

“Well, I need new gloves for Quidditch, and I thought I’d spend some time browsing around Flourish & Blotts since I haven’t been there since summer.”

Her mum’s eyes lit up.  “That sounds like fun.  I haven’t had time to just browse in ages.  Maybe I’ll come with you.”

“Oh…o-okay,” Rose stammered, biting her lip slightly.  “It’s just that I…I thought I’d meet up with some friends there.”

‘ _Friends_?”  Her mother’s eyebrow was arched once again, and she wore a resigned look.  “Or one in particular?”

Rose felt that damn blush that always gave her away rising over her cheeks.  “Scorpius owled before I came down and asked if I wanted to meet him for the day.  Are you angry?” she replied quietly.

“No,” her mum answered.  “Why should I be?  It’s your holiday, after all.”

Rose quickly shook her head.  “I’m not talking about just that.  I’m talking about… _everything_.  I thought that maybe you _were_ since you didn’t…I mean, I thought it was a bit odd that you didn’t owl me back after my letter to you about him.”

“I don’t see why.  I’m honestly surprised you expected one.  The tone of it suggested otherwise.”

“But I thought…What?  What does that mean, ‘the tone suggested otherwise’?” Rose asked tetchily, a puzzled look on her face.  “There was no _tone_.  I was simply telling you what was going on.”

“Precisely,” her mother said, her arms now crossed over her chest as she sat back in her chair.  “You _told_ us what was going on.  It didn’t seem like a response was neither required nor that you wanted one.”

“Since when has that stopped you?” Rose asked incredulously, aware that she was now treading into treacherous waters, but she was taken aback and entirely uncomfortable by the level of what felt like indifference that she was receiving from her mother which was so unlike her.  “I thought for sure you and Dad would have loads to say about it.”

“You’re of age, Rose.  You don’t need our permission to date someone,” her mum replied in a dangerously quiet tone.  “I only hope that you’ve thought this through and you know what you’re doing.”

“I wasn’t _asking_ for your permission!” she scoffed.  “I was _trying_ to be considerate.  To make sure I told you before someone else did.  And of course I expected some sort of response from you, for you to at least tell me what you thought about it all.”

Her mother’s eyes blazed, and it was all Rose could do to hold her gaze.  “I wasn’t aware that it actually mattered what we think.  Otherwise I expect we _would_ have heard it from you first.”

Rose visibly flinched.  “What did you say?” she managed, her voice barely a whisper.

“Did you truly expect for no one to see you snogging each other in the middle of the street?”  Her mum sighed angrily.  “Honestly, Rose.  In the middle of Hogsmeade?”

_Oh shit_! Rose thought, dumbfounded.  “S-someone saw us?”

“I’m certain _many_ people saw you.  Really, it’s time you think about how your actions will affect your future,” her mum replied as she stood, her eyes fixed on Rose, who squirmed slightly under the scrutiny of her mother’s gaze, and her mother’s same old lame ‘you’ll never get a job with the Ministry if you don’t take it seriously’ comments barely registered in light of the situation at hand.  “But yes, at least two _someones_ with whom your dad and I are very well-acquainted saw you and mentioned it in passing when we saw them at a Ministry function later that evening.  Of course, you can imagine our surprise to hear that our daughter was snogging any young man in the middle of the village, much less that it was Draco Malfoy’s son.”

Rose watched her mother walk to the sink and rinse out her mug as she continued talking.  “By the time your owl came the next day, we’d not only heard about your _display_ from people we work with, but we’d spoken with Ginny and Neville and discovered that you’d expressly asked that they not tell us anything.  So to be perfectly honest, neither your dad nor I had much to say to you just then.  I’m sure you can understand why we feel our opinions on this subject mean nothing to you.”  

_God, this can’t be happening!_   Rose’s head was spinning, and she honestly felt as if she might throw up.

Everything Auntie Ginny had warned her of – her parents finding out from someone else, believing that she didn’t trust them, that she didn’t care – it had all happened.  How could they think that their opinions didn’t matter?  _Their_ opinions mattered most.  It was _their_ approval that she desperately sought.  _Theirs_ were the reassurances that it could all work out despite the problems that she most needed to hear.  _Theirs_ was the type of relationship that she craved.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” she began, wiping angrily at the tears beginning to roll slowly down her cheeks.  “I – I know it sounds stupid, but I…well, since you both hate his dad so much, I thought it would be better to tell you in person.”  She took a deep breath.  “I swear, Mum, that’s all it was.  I wasn’t trying to keep it from you.  Honest.  And I _do_ want your opinion.  That’s why I was so upset when I didn’t hear back from you.”

“I’ve really wanted to talk to you about it,” Rose continued.  “And I _really_ want you and Dad to like him.”  She looked pleadingly at her mum, grateful to see emotion rather than indifference in her eyes.  

Her mum came over and pulled her into a tight embrace when the tears began to fall in earnest.  Rose wasn’t sure how long they stood there, her face buried in her mum’s shoulder as her mum patted her back gently, but she was eternally grateful for the knowledge that no matter what happened between them, her mother loved her and would provide comfort when she needed it.

She reached up and smoothed the hair from Rose’s face.  “You’re serious about him.”  It was a statement rather than a question.

“Yes.”

“And Scorpius?  Is he serious about you?” she asked, her lips slightly pursed.

Rose smiled unwittingly as her mind flashed to the letter upstairs under her pillow and his many fervent declarations over the previous week.  

“Yes,” she answered quietly, holding her mum’s knowing gaze.  Rose knew what was coming next, and her heart clenched and her cheeks began burning even as her mother spoke the words.

“I see.  Have you been careful?”

Rose let out a breath that she hadn’t exactly realized she was holding, considering for a split second that she might lie but deciding that was a really bad idea if she truly wanted to make things right with her mother.  She nodded slowly and replied, “Yes.  Of course.”

“Just be sure that you are.  The last thing you need is an additional responsibility on top of everything else.”  Her mother sighed sorrowfully.  “And be careful with your heart.  You’ve chosen a relationship wrought with trials, I’m afraid.”  

“Mum…” Rose started, wanting to delve further into that subject, but she was interrupted by her mother whose eyes darted to the clock on the wall over the fireplace then back to her.  

“What time are you meeting him?”

“Ten o’clock,” Rose replied, glancing over her shoulder at the clock which showed that it was nearly nine.  “I can Floo in through the shop, so I’ve still got time.”

“Maybe so, but I expect your dad will be back at any time, and although you need to talk to him about this at some point, I don’t think he needs to see you in _this_ , just yet,” she reached out and tugged at the arm of Rose’s – Scorpius’s – shirt, “does he?”

Rose’s eyes widened and a “Bugger” slipped from her lips although it was more like “ _Shit_!” in her head.  What had she been thinking?  If her dad saw her wearing Scorpius’s shirt, he might question _how_ she came about having it, and although Rose had quite pleasant memories of that particular afternoon, she wasn’t too keen on sharing them, especially with her dad.

She started for the door then stopped and turned, throwing her arms around her mother once more, and declared, “I love you Mum,” before sprinting out the door and up to her room.

She locked the door magically before falling onto her bed with a loud groan.  _Bloody fucking hell!_  

She still couldn’t believe her parents had known before her letter, and she wondered just who it was that could have told them.  Angrily, she wracked her brain, trying to remember if she’d seen anyone who worked with her parents, someone who might have told them, but she couldn’t recall seeing anyone other than students and the shopkeepers at McKelley’s and Honeydukes.

Of course, that explained a lot, especially why they hadn’t written her back and why they’d both seemed a bit distant.  At least everything seemed to be resolved with her mum now.  Yes, she was still upset and most likely still angry so Rose knew that there was more to come from her.  But she’d already received the conciliatory hug, so maybe after one or two more points on Mum’s end, she’d be finished and ready to let it lie.

But it hadn’t even started with her dad and that was the confrontation Rose dreaded most.

Arguments with Mum were easy.  The simple fact of the matter was that Mum was entirely predicable.  Predictable as to what would set her off, predictable as to how she’d react, and predictable as to how long it would take her to get over it.  Rose had watched and participated in _heated_ _discussions_ with her mother enough over the years to recognize the various stages – whether everything was just heating up, whether they were in a hiatus with more to come, or whether it was well and truly over – and how to react accordingly.  And once she’d learned the patterns, Rose had mastered the art much better than anyone else, even Dad, a feat that Rose had secretly boasted about to Hugo anytime he’d been on the receiving end of their mum’s wrath.  But Rose had quickly discovered that Hugo didn’t get it because he was exactly like Mum.

Dad, on the other hand, was completely unpredictable, and that made him the more volatile of the two as far as Rose was concerned.  There was no pattern to arguing with him – there were times when she’d thought he’d be livid but he’d barely said a word, and other times when she’d expected nothing but he’d overacted entirely and been angry for days.  And for some reason – and _not_ because she was ‘her father made over’ as Mum often proclaimed – Rose couldn’t always control her temper with her dad, and she’d usually ended up infuriating him even more. 

Not that she’d ever actually enjoyed fighting with her parents, but when she was younger and the arguments were over things like doing her chores by hand rather than by magic or keeping in her wardrobe for two weeks a stray kitten that she’d found, they’d seemed fun almost.  But now that their arguments concerned more serious subjects such as the real reason that she’d had to spend a month in detention or why she would never in a million years want to be an Auror or work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Rose _hated_ them, hated the look of frustration in their eyes and the tone of disappointment in their voices.

She sighed heavily as she sat up and pulled off Scorpius’s shirt, folding and placing it under her pillow atop his letter.  She knew the time was coming when she’d be forced to talk to her dad about it all, but right now, she wasn’t going to think about it.  Instead, she focused her thoughts on seeing Scorpius in – she glanced at her watch which read 9:30 a.m. – half an hour.

She quickly got dressed, pulled her hair into a loose ponytail, and cast a hangover charm to get rid of the red puffiness attributable to her tears before going back downstairs to say goodbye to her mum and use the Floo to Uncle George’s shop.  Both of her parents’ voices were coming from the study, and she was about to join them when she heard her mother say, “And Rose got an owl this morning.”

Something clanked, rather like the fireplace poker hitting the hearth.  “Already?  It’s not even ten o’clock.  What did it say?”

“She didn’t say, and I didn’t ask, although she’s meeting him in Diagon Alley shortly so I suspect it may have had something to do with that.”

“Why didn’t you tell her she couldn’t go?”

“Honestly, Ron,” her mother replied testily.  “She’s of age.  We can’t keep her from going to Diagon Alley to meet a friend.”

Her dad huffed loudly.  “Are you joking?  _A friend_?  I’m not stupid, Hermione.  I _saw_ how he looked at her, how he could barely keep his hands off of her.  I know what he wants from her, and it is _more_ than just friendship!”

_Oh fuck_! Rose thought.  _Don’t tell him about that.  Please don’t tell him_.  Rose knew with absolute certainty that she did not want to talk to her dad about _that_ …ever.

“No one said you were stupid, Ron,” her mother replied.  “And yes, judging from the look of things, they seem serious about each other.”

Rose heard her dad sigh heavily.  “Tell me what she could _possibly_ see in that kid.”

She immediately began a mental list of all the things she loved about Scorpius which was cut short when her mum replied, “What do any of us see in the people we choose?”

Rose heard the squeak of her dad’s chair and her mum’s soft sigh.  “You know that they’ve been close friends for years.  So there must be something she finds endearing about him.”

Her dad snorted, and Rose could picture the look on his face as her mother continued, “And you remember what Neville said – that aside from being rather full of himself, Scorpius really is nothing like his father was.  He’s apparently a shoo-in for Head Boy next year.”

“Yeah, well,” her dad grumbled, “Neville doesn’t have a daughter dating him, does he?”

“Ron,” her mother said soothingly.  “She’s a smart young woman.  We have to trust her.”

Her dad continued as if he hadn’t even heard her mum.  “And what kind of name is Scorpius anyway?  How can Rosie possibly think she’s serious about a boy named _Scorpius_?”

Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation.  She was turning away from the door in order to loudly ‘announce her arrival’ when she heard her mother speak once more. 

“We both know it isn’t his first name that bothers you, Ron.  Or even _Scorpius_ if you’re completely honest with yourself.”

“I know,” he admitted.  “But she’s our daughter.  My little girl.  And I don’t trust him … I can’t.”

“You may have to, if they really are serious about each other,” her mother said softly.

Rose heard her dad take a deep breath.  “Tell me, Hermione, how do I look at this kid, invite him into our home, accept the fact that he may be in love with our daughter when every time I look at him, all I can see is… _them_?”

She pushed open the door a little wider, prepared to confront him about this pathetic grudge he was holding, but she stopped short at the sight of them.  Her dad sat in his chair, facing the fireplace with her mum perched on his lap, her fingers threaded in his hair.  And even though they’d been talking about her, Rose felt as if she was intruding upon something she really shouldn’t be, and she withheld the comments that had been collecting in her mind.

Instead, she backed completely out of the room, went to the kitchen, and left a note on the table that she was off to Diagon Alley and she’d see them all later that evening before stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in a burst of flames.     


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**  

“That’ll be four sickles, dear.”

Rose giggled behind her hand and arched her eyebrows questioningly as the woman behind the counter smiled a little too appreciatively at Scorpius.  He pulled the money from his pocket and handed it over with a quiet, “Thank you,” before gingerly picking up the two mugs of hot chocolate in front of him and leading them to a small table next to the window while she followed behind with their purchases in hand.

“I think you have an admirer,” Rose remarked playfully as she sat down in the seat across from him, nodding back toward the counter.

Scorpius smirked.  “No more than you and that ruddy clerk at Flourish & Blotts.  If he’d offered to help you find something one more time, I would’ve had no choice but to hex him.”

“That might’ve been worth seeing,” she teased, reaching into one of their bags and setting the other down next to his chair.  “Although it’s your fault he had so much time to keep coming around.  Making that other clerk scrounge around for this.”  She rolled her eyes as she held up the lilac book with the grinning wizard on the front cover.   “I mean, Gilderoy Lockhart?  Why in the world does your mum want to read anything written by this fraud?”

He shook his head, a look of disgust on his face.  “She thinks they’re humorous.”

“I wonder if she thinks he’s handsome, too,” Rose giggled with a knowing smirk.  “Mum did.  Anytime his name comes up, Dad teases her about having a crush on him when he was their professor.  Maybe that’s the lure for your mum as well.”

“Ugh,” Scorpius groaned.  “Don’t even suggest such a thing.”  

Rose laughed and held the book up again.  “Oh, I don’t know.  He’s got great hair.  And look at these teeth.”

Without another word, Scorpius took the book back from her and dropped it unceremoniously back into the bag.  Rose giggled again before taking a sip from her mug, gazing across the way at the entrance to Flourish & Blotts.  She watched an elderly couple walk hand in hand very slowly down the cobblestone street, passing by a harried-looking witch who nearly sprinted into Madame Maulkin’s dress shop with what appeared to be crimson dress robes thrown haphazardly over her arm.  

From behind her mug, she smiled unconsciously at the sight of a young man holding the hand of, quite obviously, his young daughter as they left Quality Quidditch Supplies, her face alit as he carried what had to be a beginner’s broomstick.  Rose recalled with immense fondness the day eleven years before when she accompanied her dad to the very same shop and they picked out her first real broom.  She sighed nostalgically as her eyes followed the pair.

“What’s that about?”

She turned back to Scorpius, who was watching her intently.  “Hmm?”

“You sighed.  Why?”

“Them.”  Rose gestured out the window.  “Reminds me of when Dad brought me here for mine.”

Scorpius followed her gaze and smiled as well.  “What model was it?  Do you remember?”

“Of course,” she snorted.  “It was a Cleansweep.  All of us got Cleansweeps when we first started out except for James, Al, and Lily.  Dad and Auntie Angelina swear they’re the best for beginners, but Uncle Harry still swears by the Nimbuses.”  She giggled, remembering how Uncle Harry gloated to her dad when Rose moved from her Cleansweep to the Nimbus after she made the House team, boasting that her dad should’ve just listened to him in the first place.  “It’s quite the family battle.  So, do you remember yours?”

He nodded.  “A Comet.  Father wanted it to be a Nimbus, but Mother put her foot down and insisted on it.  She still uses one.”

“Oh that’s right!  I forgot your mum played professional Quidditch.”

“Youngest female seeker in Kites history,” he said proudly, a smile on his face.  “Probably could’ve been one of the best, too, if she’d wanted.  Even Father concedes that my flying abilities can be attributed to her.  But she only played for two years, then she had me.”

“A much better choice, if you ask me.”  Rose smiled brightly, and Scorpius shrugged, the hint of a blush rising over his cheeks as he lifted his mug to his lips.

“Do you think she misses it?”

“I don’t think so.  At least she says she doesn’t.”

“Auntie Ginny does.  Not that she’d still be playing now, of course, but she’s often said that playing Quidditch was her dream job, so I know she really loved it.”  Rose leaned in with a conspiratory giggle.  “But as Uncle Charlie says, her career was cut short by a little too much celebrating after Uncle Harry’s 23rd birthday party and the nice little bundle named James that arrived nine months later.” 

Scorpius smirked.  “You know, Mother thinks I should try out for the professional league once we’re finished at school.”

“Oh, you should,” she breathed, her voice rich with excitement.  “I’ve never seen anyone fly as fast as you except for the professionals.”

“If I should, then you should as well.  The things I’ve seen you do – I’ve often wondered how it is that you haven’t cracked your skull.”

“ _I’ve_ never so much as broken a bone,” Rose declared smugly, knowing that Scorpius had not only broken his nose, but three of his fingers as well, all from Quidditch.  “I suppose all those times playing at my grandparents’ house were useful, teaching me how to avoid getting hit by a bludger after Alexander got me that one time so well.”

She grimaced, recalling that late spring day nearly three years before when Alexander had decided to get even with her for accidentally mentioning to Uncle Percy that rather than joining him in the upper echelon of the Minister’s office, her cousin had decided to work with Uncle George at the shop in Diagon Alley, by aiming a bludger directly at her and catching her squarely in the lower right side of her back.  Rose’s injury and Auntie Angelina’s fury were the only things to temper her dad’s obvious delight in seeing Uncle Percy’s less than pleased reaction to the news, and for a few brief moments, when she felt as if she was dying from the pain before Grandma Weasley could get out there to heal her, Rose had actually wondered if perhaps Quidditch wasn’t worth it, a thought that quickly left her head and never returned again once Gran worked her magic on the huge bruise.

“ _Alexander_?  You mean Paul’s brother?” Scorpius asked in disbelief.  “The one who was Head Boy our third year?”  She nodded, and he shook his head in amazement.  “I never would’ve seen him as the type.  Is there anyone in your family that _doesn’t_ play Quidditch?”

“Nope.  It’s a Weasley family tradition – broomsticks at six, initiation into the family game at eight.  And come to think of it, most of us played for a House team, and almost all of my aunts and uncles played when they were in school.  And my dad…he played Keeper for a couple of years, and I know he still loves playing.”  Rose giggled again.  “That much is obvious during our matches at my grandparents’ house.  He gets _really_ competitive.”

“So that’s where you get it?” Scorpius muttered, a smirk on his lips.

“Get what?” she asked, feigning indignation.  “ _I’m_ not competitive.”

He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.  “Of course you aren’t.”  He reached out and took her hand which was resting on the table.  “Come on, Rose.  You’re the second most competitive person I know.”

“And who would be first?” she teased, already knowing the answer.

“I am, of course,” he chuckled.  “Was there ever really a doubt?”

Rose smirked back at him.  “No, I’ll agree that _you_ are.  That’s something you and my dad definitely have in common.”

“That’s not the only thing, you know,” Scorpius said sincerely, his fingers tightening around hers.  His smile wavered slightly at this mention of her dad.  “So, um…is it pathetic that I’ve wanted to ask you all morning if he said anything to you about yesterday?  About, uh…meeting me and all?”

“Not at all pathetic,” she replied softly, their eyes locked.  Rose watched as he lifted their joined hands and brought the back of hers to his lips, brushing it lightly with a surprisingly intimate kiss.  

She wanted to lean across the table and kiss him full on the mouth, but as was the case when she first saw him nearly two hours before inside Flourish & Blotts, she was cognizant of her mother’s admonishment concerning the last time she and Scorpius had snogged in public.  And although she wasn’t particularly concerned with anything anyone else – especially the Ministry folks – might think of her personally, the look of disappointment in her mother’s eyes during their conversation earlier that morning was enough to stop her.

“So are you going to tell me or are you going to make me guess?  Did they say anything?”

Rose smiled ruefully and shook her head slightly.  “We had company all night – Al’s family, you know, I told you how we always spend that first night home at one of our houses – and they stayed past midnight.  We were all so exhausted when they left and just went to bed.  And when I got up this morning, Dad had been called into work, so I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him about any of it yet.  I talked to Mum this morning, though,” she continued with a sigh as she set her mug on the table. 

“Damn it, there’s another sigh.”  Scorpius frowned.  “Was it _that_ bad?”

“Not exactly _bad_ ,” she answered, reflecting on her conversation with her mum, which led her mind to that overheard conversation between her parents, “but she told me they already knew about us before they got my letter, which explains the silent treatment that week.”

He looked surprised and, Rose noted, quite concerned.  “They knew?  Did your aunt –”

“Oh no,” she replied quickly, shaking her head.  “She was true to her word and didn’t say anything until they asked her outright.  But apparently someone my parents work with at the Ministry saw us that day in Hogsmeade – kissing and all – and said something to them.  Auntie Ginny and Neville only confirmed it when Mum and Dad asked them.”

“Someone from the Ministry saw us?” he asked, and she sensed a slight note of alarm in his voice.  “Did she say who?”

“No,” Rose answered cautiously.  “Why?  Does it matter?”

“Of course not,” he said quickly, squeezing her hand.  “So what did your mother say about it?” he prompted with a thoughtful look, the unease in his tone dissipated.  “I take it she wasn’t too thrilled.”

Rose shrugged.  “No, and I could tell she really wanted to throw in another of her ‘you’ll never get on with the Ministry if you don’t shape up’ lectures, too.”  She slid her fingers tightly around his.  “But it doesn’t really change anything either way, you know?”

“Yeah,” he responded, squeezing her fingers between his.   “I know.”

Rose watched him carefully before continuing.  “She asked if we were, um, serious about each other, and then she warned me to…be careful…well, _for us_ to be careful.”  

Scorpius nodded, his eyes widening slightly in understanding and what looked like apprehension.  “But your dad…he wasn’t there, right?  To hear _that_ , right?”

“No,” she replied quietly.  She contemplated telling him that he probably knew by now though, considering, as they frequently reiterated to both she and Hugo, Mum and Dad did not keep secrets from each other.  Rose could only hope and pray fervently that her mum would at least wait until she was back at Hogwarts to tell her dad about those intimate details.

“Good,” he muttered.  “Your dad scares the shit out of me.”

“Really?”  Rose was surprised not only that he felt that way but that he’d admitted it so freely.  “Why?”

Scorpius eyed her incredulously.  “Because he’s your dad.  And he’s an Auror and a lot older and bigger than me.”  He shook his head, repeating, “ _And he’s_ _your_ _dad_.  I’m sure if he knew you were here with me right now –”

“Oh, he knows,” she interjected.  “He got home right before I left, and I overheard Mum telling him that I was meeting you today.”  Rose noticed a flicker of uncertainty flash through his eyes, as he simply replied, “Oh, alright,” and she smiled what she knew had to be a silly, love-sick grin, loving Scorpius even more for obviously being concerned about her dad and what he thought of Rose dating him.  

She understood, though, the desire to gain Ron Weasley’s approval.

_Dad_ , she thought with a mixture of undying affection and irritation.  Damn, he could be so infuriating, but he was also the most devoted father in the world and would do anything for his family.  No one meant more to her than her dad; she knew that.  And if she was completely honest with herself, she not only adored him, but she valued his opinion above all others.

But sometimes, Rose really didn’t understand how he could harbor such hard feelings over something that happened so long ago.

Her smile continued to wane as his words to her mum continued replaying through her mind.  

_“Tell me, how do I look at this kid, invite him into our home, accept the fact that he may be in love with my daughter when every time I look at him, all I can see is…them?_  

What did that even mean?  And who exactly was he talking about?  

Obviously, one of ‘them’ had to be Scorpius’s dad.  She didn’t know a lot about why they all disliked Mr. Malfoy so much, other than he was generally a real arsehole at school to her parents, Uncle Harry, Neville, and most of the other students.  In fact, the only specific things she knew were that he’d repeatedly insulted her mum by calling her that vile name for Muggle-borns that Rose never, ever even contemplated saying and that the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, Scorpius’s dad had threatened to turn Uncle Harry over to Voldemort before they’d ended up saving him from an awful fiendfyre that had engulfed the Room of Requirement.  And every time they saw him at the Ministry or in Diagon Alley or on Platform 9 3/4 after every trip to Kings Cross, her dad and Uncle Harry would remark about how Mr. Malfoy was still just a ferrety little git, and her mum and Auntie Ginny would giggle about his receding hairline.

But who else?  Surely not Scorpius’s mum.  Rose knew that Mrs. Malfoy was a few years younger than her own parents and she had attended Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, so she hadn’t even known any of them before she began working at Gringotts.  Rose also knew that although her mum knew Mrs. Malfoy fairly well, seeing as she was the Gringotts liaison for her mum’s department at the Ministry, her dad didn’t seem to know her very well at all, having only been around her at Ministry functions over the years by things her mum had said.

Possibly Scorpius’s grandfather then?  Just the thought of him brought a scowl to Rose’s face.  Of course, she knew that Lucius Malfoy was a former Death Eater.  Everyone knew that.  She also understood that he had served time in Azkaban for an attack on the Ministry, had escaped when Voldemort regained power, and following the Battle of Hogwarts, he’d escaped being sent back with his contemporaries by ‘defecting’ and not actually fighting with the Death Eaters that night.   He was also a man that her grandparents, who were some of the most open and accepting people Rose had ever met, only spoke of in an angry and disdainful manner, and about whom no one in her family had anything remotely civil to say.  And after coming face to face with him, and ‘meeting’ him in person, Rose understood why her Uncle Bill had declared more than once that he was an evil, heartless bastard who bought his way out of Azkaban the second time around.

She wondered, though, how things that Scorpius’s grandfather did as a Death Eater would affect her dad like that?  No, it had to be other classmates, people she didn’t know about, that her dad still remembered.  But Rose wondered what in the world could have happened that he was still bothered by it enough that twenty-five years later, that he still held this type of grudge and couldn’t at least attempt to trust her choice in dating Scorpius.

She was more than determined to convince him otherwise, to make him see what made Scorpius so special.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly.  “Once Dad gets to know you, he’ll see everything I see in you.  I think my mum thinks so, too.”

“Well, he didn’t stop you from coming, and he hasn’t shown up to drag you home.  That has to mean something, right?” he reasoned, sounding hopeful.  His touch sent goosebumps up her arm, but his sincerity sent her senses completely out of focus.

“Hmm hmm.”  She took a deep breath, resting her chin on her fist, watching as she stirred her hot chocolate absentmindedly for a moment before shifting her eyes back to his.  “So, uh…have _your_ parents said anything?”

He automatically frowned, although it was obvious when he plastered an unflustered look on his face almost immediately thereafter that he hadn’t meant to.  “Yeah, a bit,” he admitted.  “Well, Father has.  I’ve told you that Mother thinks you’re lovely, and even more so now that she’s met you.”

Rose blushed.  “That’s really nice of your mum to say so, but…I’m curious…what did your dad say?  Will you tell me?”

He looked extremely uncomfortable and shifted in his chair.  His grip on her hand loosened, but instead of pulling away, he began sliding his fingers sensually over her palm, up to her wrist, and back.  “Just nonsense, really.  How he disliked your parents and your aunts and uncles, you know, because none of them ever got along with each other, going back to when they were in school,” he replied quietly, no longer looking at her but focusing intensely on the movement of his fingers over her hand as he continued, sounding somewhat nervous.  “And how…well…old habits die hard, I suppose, and where your parents are concerned…”

His voice drifted off, and his eyes held a sorrowful gaze.

“Okay, yeah,” she admitted, “same for me, too.”

Scorpius sighed heavily.  “I have to spend the rest of the week with him at my grandparents’ house.  I’m quite sure Grandfather will have plenty to say, things my father wants me to hear, especially after the way I…” he shrugged, “well, as I told you then, I was a bit rude when they came to my Quidditch match.  So I’m sure this is my punishment for being impolite and daring to stand up for myself.  Why else would I be forced to spend nearly an entire week at their house when I never have before.  I am surprised, though, that Mother agreed; she isn’t particularly comfortable there either and she wholeheartedly disagrees with Grandfather’s antiquated ideas about things.”

He looked down and began studying his mug purposefully, his hand still caressing hers.

“Scorpius?”

“Hmmm?”

She waited until he looked up at her again.  “Has your dad ever told you why there’s so much bad blood between our families?  Besides the school stuff?”

He shifted again in his seat, this time looking not only uncomfortable but downright distressed.  “And other than their differing thoughts on blood purity?”  He paused, a pleading look in his eyes.  “I suppose it has to do with…well, I’m sure you’re aware…I mean, you have to know … although we’ve never actually talked about it, and you may not, but…my grandfather and yours are…well, they were…at odds for years over Lord Voldemort.”

“Yeah, I know he was a Death Eater,” she whispered, never wavering from holding his gaze, “and Granddad was in the Order.  And I know they got into a fight once.  Over there, in fact.”  She nodded towards Flourish & Blotts.  “And I know our parents certainly haven’t ever been friends and that a lot of it has to do with my mum being Muggle-born, right?”

Scorpius dropped his eyes and nodded slowly.

“But is that it?” she pressed, sensing that he wasn’t telling her something important.  “It just seems like there should be more to it than that, don’t you think?  I mean, I don’t understand why my dad still holds such a grudge against your dad after all these years.  They are _grownups_ , for Merlin’s sake, not children.  Shouldn’t they have moved past things that happened so long ago by now?”

She refused to believe that her dad would hold it against Scorpius who his parents and grandparents were without more…doing was no better than the Malfoys holding it against Rose that she was the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley and her grandparents were Muggles.

Scorpius sighed and looked at her intently once again.  “Like I said, old grudges die hard, it seems.”  He shook his head, an almost sad expression on his face.  “Sins of the father and all,” he muttered.  “I only hope I get the chance to prove myself…apart from being his son, you know?  To prove that he may think one thing, but I certainly don’t.”

“I could say the same about yours,” Rose responded softly, and he nodded, his fingers sliding past her wrist and up her arm.  

She sighed again and turned back to the window.

“You’re doing it again.”  He was frowning when she looked at him, her eyebrow arched.  Scorpius slid his fingers down to lace with hers.  “Stop with the sighing.  It will all be fine.  It has to be.”

Rose took a deep breath and glanced down at their intertwined hands.  “Promise me something.”

“Anything,” he said sincerely.

“Promise me you won’t let them change your mind,” she whispered, watching him intently.  “Don’t let them change how you feel about me.”

She gasped as his grip on her hand tightened almost uncomfortably, and the blazing look in his eyes nearly burned a hole through her, as did the tone of his voice and the intensity of his words.

“ _Nothing_ and _no one_ could ever change how I feel about you, Rose.  I swear to you.”

She moved over next to him and slid her lips against his cheek.  “I love you, you know,” she whispered in his ear, leaning her face against his.  

She could feel him turning into her, and despite the warnings in her head to scoot back away from him, she turned her face towards his, and her slightly open mouth brushed against his.  She could feel the warmth of his moist lips, slightly parted as well, against hers as he responded in kind, “Merlin, Rose…don’t you know I love you, too?”

Reluctantly, she sat back, as did he, almost as if he could sense her hesitation.  “I wish we were alone,” he said quietly, yet intensely, his eyes fixed onto hers.  

“I know,” Rose regretfully agreed.  She looked around; the cafe had filled up since it was now lunchtime, and if snogging her boyfriend had been ill-advised when they first got there, it was completely imprudent now.  She recognized many people, including Uncle Percy’s assistant, Jools, who was sitting at a nearby table, returning her friendly wave.

“We should leave,” he suggested, once again squeezing her hand.

“Yeah, okay.”  She nodded and began straightening her now empty mug.  “I still need to get gloves, and I missed Alexander this morning, so I’ll need to stop by and see him, although I suppose I can just wait until I’m heading home, and –”

“That’s not what I meant,” he interrupted, leaning in closer, and a shiver ran through Rose.  She was learning to read him quite well, and not only could she hear the desire in his voice, she could see it in his eyes.  “If we don’t leave now, make no mistake, I _will_ end up snogging you here in front of everyone.  It’s taking all of my restraint not to pull you over here and kiss you for real.”

“Oh.”  Rose blushed and averted her eyes as she bent down to pick up her bag.  Not that snogging him would be bad, but doing so there would be.  As she stood, however, her mind raced, working desperately, yet unsuccessfully, to think of somewhere they could go and actually be alone, even for a few moments, and she only halfway noticed when Scorpius took her arm and steered her through the café and out into the street.

“So, uh…” he turned back to her with a nod over his shoulder.  “Quality Quidditch Supplies, is it?”

Rose merely nodded and linked her arm through his when he offered it.  And the rest of her day was spent perusing shops, purchasing various whatnots, partaking in a delightfully late lunch, and enjoying just the simple pleasure of being with Scorpius, knowing that she was eventually going to discover what her father held so painfully and deciding that no matter what it took, she would convince him that Scorpius was undeniably worth taking the risk.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**  

“Hurry up, Arthur.  You can’t expect us to sit here like this all day.”

“Just about got it…” Granddad said as he fiddled once more with the camera that he’d set up a few meters in front of them.  “There!” he declared happily, moving toward the group and squeezing in between Lily and Fred to join Gran in the middle of their large group.  Rose stood between Al on her right side and Hugo, who was swatting at James as he held up rabbit ears behind his head, on her left.  Behind her, she could hear Uncle Bill and Uncle Charlie chuckling and her dad egging James on.

“Okay everyone…say ‘Canary Creams.’”

Rose laughed as she followed Granddad’s instructions, and following a flick of his wand, the camera flashed brightly.  

“Are we done?” Hugo asked, turning upon James in aggravation when Gran answered “yes.”  Rose giggled, watching Al and Fred join in and the four of them chasing each other out of the orchard and toward the garden as the rest of the family dispersed.  

“Merlin, that James…” Victoire laughed as she carefully lowered herself into one of the chairs that had been brought out earlier.

Rose bit back a giggle when Auntie Ginny sighed heavily, rolled her eyes and muttered, “I wonder if we shouldn’t have named him ‘Fred;’ he’s enough like him,” but she laughed aloud when Therese winked at her sister and gestured toward her belly.  “You’d better hope he has Teddy’s temperament.”

Rose settled onto the ground, leaning up against one of the trees, leaving room for Lily to do so as well.

“Before long, you won’t be able to fit us all in to one picture,” Karla said to Gran, who was positively beaming.

“There’s always room for more,” she replied, looking in Victoire’s direction lovingly and then glancing towards Eryn.  “And at least two more next year.”

Eryn snorted.  “Don’t be so sure, Gran.  After all this hassle, I might call the whole thing off.”

“Now Eryn.”  Auntie Katie sighed from across the orchard.  “We’ve been through this –”

“Your mother’s right,” Rose’s mum said gently as she and Auntie Ginny escorted Eryn toward the group congregated around Auntie Katie.  “You couldn’t have expected Lavender not to go all out for her oldest son’s wedding.”

“But hasn’t anyone been listening to what _we’ve_ said?  _Colin and I_ want family only, although I’m quickly changing my mind about that as well!”

Rose shifted against the tree and looked around at Lily who sat on the ground beside her, her eyes wide.  Therese sat in one of the wooden chairs next to Victoire, who was lounging rather uncomfortably in hers, her feet up in another one.  Lora sat cross-legged on the ground near the chairs, and Karla leaned against a tree on Victoire’s other side, glancing over at the group surrounding Eryn. 

“Poor Eryn,” Lora said even as she and Auntie Katie continued to argue from across the orchard.  “They’re  driving her barking mad over this wedding.”  She shook her head and rolled her eyes.  “Between Mum and Colin’s mum trying to turn it into the social event of the season, and Dad constantly complaining about Colin’s inability to keep his hands off of her …”

Lora burst into a fit of giggles, prompting Lily to giggle, too, unconsciously.  Karla quirked her eyebrow.  “What’s so funny?”

“Truth be told, it’s Eryn who can’t keep her hands off of Colin.  And, naturally, she makes a point of touching him as often as possible in front of Dad.”

“Poor Uncle George,” Therese chuckled.  “Dad and Uncle Charlie were really taking the piss earlier.”  She glanced at her sister.  “Of course, he got Dad back when he not so subtly reminded him that _that_ ” she pointed to Victoire’s very pregnant belly, “was undeniable proof that Teddy couldn’t keep his hands off of you...”  She turned to Karla and waggled her eyebrows.  “…and there was something about you and Leo and ‘horrible sights irrevocably engrained in Uncle Charlie’s mind.’”

Rose noticed that Victoire actually blushed, but Karla merely shrugged, a smug smirk on her face as she winked at Therese.  “Yeah, well, at least Dad finally understands the dangers of Apparating in without owling first.”

Lora and Therese burst into gales of laughter, and Victoire and Karla grinned knowingly at each other, amusement evident in their respective grins.  Lily was shaking beside her, her hand over her mouth as she laughed, and Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud herself, before a horrible thought dashed her mirth and sent a shudder through her.  It had been bad enough to be caught by Auntie Ginny, and that was only snogging; she couldn’t even imagine how horrid it would be for _her dad_ to catch her and Scorpius doing anything, especially _that_.  

Karla continued, “Maybe we should go lend Eryn a sympathetic shoulder –” 

“Don’t bother,” Eryn huffed, as she walked up behind Karla and joined them, crossing the group and falling onto the ground on the other side of Rose.  “As if Mum and Lavender weren’t bad enough, but now they’ve got backup.”  She glared around at each of them, offering a disgruntled gesture toward the group consisting of their respective mothers’ retreating backs.  “I expected it from Gran and Auntie Fleur, but I figured, for sure, that I could count on the others to be on my side.  But no,” she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  “Unbelievably, the rest of them took Mum’s side on this, too.  It’s like there’s no reasoning with any of them, especially when it’s all of them.”  She ran her hands through her hair and let out a deep sigh.  “I’m going to kill Colin for this.  It’s a damn good thing I find him so irresistible.”

Lily giggled again, her face turning bright red.  She leaned in and whispered to Rose, “He’s not as cute as his brother, though…”  

Rose grinned knowingly.  Lily’s crush on Cameron Longbottom was common knowledge among the cousins at Hogwarts, a point that James – _the git_ – made a point of stressing to Cameron all too often.  But she also knew that Lily would be mortified for the rest of them to know, especially his soon-to-be sister-in-law.  

“Really?  Mum agreed?” Karla asked, her eyebrow quirked.  “That surprises me – she and Dad certainly didn’t have a big wedding.”

“Actually,” Eryn replied, “Auntie Iona was the lone voice of reason among them.  Even Auntie Hermione thought I owed it to everyone to have a big party.”

“So why didn’t you just elope?” Rose asked, knowing that Eryn probably hated the planning more than anything else, seeing as she tended to be somewhat impetuous and rarely planned anything in advance. 

“We _wanted_ to,” Eryn sighed.  “We actually had it all planned, too, but then his mum got wind of it, and she got Mum involved.”

Lora laughed.  “It took Eryn weeks to forgive Colin for letting it slip.”

Rose nodded knowingly.  She could just imagine how badly Lavender Longbottom might have reacted to the news that her oldest son was planning to elope, thus depriving her of a huge event including all the powers that be at both Hogwarts and the Ministry.

Victoire shifted in her seat and sighed loudly as she worked to get more comfortable.  Rose watched her in amusement and amazement.  

“Merlin, Victoire,” Eryn said with a grin.  “I can’t get over how much you’ve grown since Christmas.  You really are enormous.”

“Yes, thank you for that observation,” Victoire retorted sarcastically.

“How are you feeling?” Rose asked, her eyes watching the huge bump move independently of Victoire.

“Tired,” she replied with a sigh.  “Very, very tired.”  She smiled weakly.  “And poor Teddy.  He’s simply exhausted.”

“He looks it,” Lora laughed.  “As do you, Victoire.  I’m expecting you to keel over at any moment.”  

“Or pop,” Therese teased. 

“I’m surprised they let you travel,” Karla observed.  “Aren’t you due in a couple of weeks?”

“Ten days,” Victoire groaned with a grimace.  “And I doubt Healer Meyeul would have agreed if Teddy wasn’t a mediwizard.”

“I still can’t believe you’re about to be a _mum_ , Victoire,” Lily said, a look of awe in her eyes.

“I know,” Victoire agreed softly, her voice rich with emotion.  “It’s a bit overwhelming, to be honest.”

“I’ll bet.”  Karla shook her head.  “I’m still having trouble adjusting to the concept that I’m getting married at some point in the future.”

“Yeah, well, I’m telling you now,” Eryn said, looking her directly in the eye, “run away.  Don’t even tell Leo what you’re doing, just slip away quietly and get married.  Nobody listens to what you have to say about it anyway, and this wedding shit is pure torture.”   She gestured irritably towards the house before turning to glare at Victoire.  “And _you_ could’ve warned me.” 

Victoire flashed a deceptively sweet smile.  “And have you miss all the fun?  Oh no.” 

“I’ll remember this when you need someone to watch the baby, you know,” Eryn chuckled.  She nudged Rose’s foot with hers.  “Oi, I hear from several somewhat reliable sources that your ‘study mate’ finally got off his arse and made it official between you two.”

Rose felt the blush rising over her cheeks as Karla looked at her pointedly.  “Did he really?  It’s about bloody time.  I called it when…” she looked at Eryn, “three years ago?”

Eryn nodded, and Therese giggled.  “It _was_ pretty obvious, wasn’t it?  That they fancied each other?”

“It was not,” Rose retorted testily, not really enjoying being the object of their attention.  “We really were only friends until –”

“Oh please,” Lora scoffed.  “You’ve fancied each other for years.  We all knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Rose shrugged, knowing that it did her no good to argue with them, especially when it was _all_ of them, musing just how much like their mothers they all were in that sense.  Plus, being completely honest with herself, it was true that she’d had passing thoughts of more than just friendship with Scorpius for at least two years, and he’d confessed to having fancied her at least that long.

“And they’re so lovely together,” Lily added excitedly with a genuine smile at Rose who groaned inwardly.  She understood that Lily was just trying to be more involved in the conversation, but she wished that she’d be quiet nevertheless.  

“I think I’ve missed something here,” Victoire interjected.  “Who are you talking about?”

“Rose’s boyfriend,” Lily answered excitedly. “Scorpius Malfoy.”

“Hanna’s son,” Therese said pointedly.

“Really?”  Victoire’s eyes widened.  “You’re going out with Draco and Hanna Malfoy’s son?”

“Hmm hmm,” Rose answered, her cheeks still burning.

“Good lord, how’s your dad taking it?” 

“How do you think he’s taking it – I mean, this is Uncle Ron we’re talking about.  There is no one more over-protective.  I’m sure he’s positively appalled,” Lora interjected, and Therese laughed.  

“He does put the rest of them to shame, doesn’t he?”

It took everything Rose had to refrain from simultaneously snorting loudly and screaming in frustration.

Truth be told, although she was quite sure that her dad was not taking it all that well, she couldn’t say for sure since he still hadn’t said anything much to her on the subject the entire week she’d been home aside from the occasional huff or aggravated sigh anytime anything remotely related to Scorpius came up.  At the beginning of the week, Rose had thought she and her dad would’ve had at least some time alone over the break, but between spending the day with Scorpius in Diagon Alley and going to see her Nana and spending one whole day at Al’s and another at Ellie’s and her dad having to go into work and now spending the whole day at the Burrow today, they’d spent absolutely no time really alone together.  

_Except_ …

Rose smiled as she recalled the day she’d spent with Scorpius in Diagon Alley several days ago.  It had been truly wonderful, and yet, entirely too short.  And when they’d arrived at Uncle George’s shop at nine o’clock that evening, she hadn’t wanted it to end, and they’d ended up snogging passionately in the alleyway behind the store for nearly an hour, finally having to force themselves to break apart when Alexander yelled out the window just after ten o’clock that he was locking up and if she wanted to use the Floo, she’d better hurry it up.

And after one last kiss goodbye, she’d slipped inside and muttered a quick goodnight to Alexander without meeting his eye, stepping into the Floo with thoughts of Scorpius in her mind and the feel of his lips still burned into her skin.  She’d been so distracted that she nearly missed the grate to her house, just wanting to get home and to her room so that she could slip into his shirt and feel close to him again as she reflected on their day.  

But Rose’s hopes that her parents would already be in bed when she stepped through the Floo into their kitchen had been dashed by the presence of Ron Weasley, sitting at the table, his arms folded across his chest, a cup of tea and a crumpled up _Daily Prophet_ sitting on the table in front of him. 

The levity of his “Have a good time?” hadn’t matched the concern in his gaze or the redness of his neck and ears as he sat back in his chair, his arms crossed across his chest.

“Um…yeah,” Rose had answered, her grin slipping as she nervously smoothed down her hair and hoped beyond hope that there weren’t any tell tale signs of what she’d been doing the last hour on her neck.

“Out a bit late, don’t you think?”  His eyes narrowed as they focused on her neck, and her hand reflexively pulled up her collar.

“Oh…yeah, well,” she’d stammered, still caught off guard by his presence, “I, um, didn’t you see my note?  I said I’d be gone all day –”

“It’s ten o’clock, Rose.  No longer what I’d call ‘day.’”  

“Well, I’m sorry if you were worried, but –”

“You should’ve owled to say you’d be late.”

Rose let out a deep breath, her aggravation getting the best of her.  “I said I was sorry.  What more do want me to say?”  She crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at him.  “I am of age, you know,” she muttered.

Her dad’s eyes flashed, but his tone was quiet and deliberate as he pushed back his chair and stood.  “Then act like it.  There’s more to being of age than turning seventeen.  And just because you’re of age doesn’t mean that I’m not going to worry about you, Rosie.”  He turned and walked to the door, pausing and turning to lock eyes with her once again.  “Just owl next time, alright?” he said with a heavy sigh before walking out the door.

She’d wanted to call to him, to apologize again, to ask him why he’d been so worried, to ask him all those “Whys?” like she’d wanted to that morning.  But she’d been so taken aback by the sheer vehemence of his reply and the concern in his voice and the sadness in his gaze that she hadn’t pressed further, and she’d just let him walk out the door.  

“– and can you imagine his reaction if they get engaged – he’ll be ten times worse than Uncle George.”   

“Hey!” Rose said defensively.  “Go easy on my dad.  I don’t mind that he overreacts.  It’s kind of nice, actually.”  Her cheeks burned not only from indignation since those were thoughts she’d actually had herself.  “And who said anything about getting _engaged_?  We’ve only been going out since January.”

“Yes, but you’ve been friends forever,” Lora countered.  “Kind of like your parents, in a way.”

“What’s like our parents?” Hugo asked as he came up behind Victoire, two broomsticks in hand.

“Nothing,” Rose insisted as she took a deep breath and stood.  As much as she hated being the center of her female cousins’ attention, being the center of the boys’ attention was undeniably worse.  But luckily, she had the best possible avenue for escape.  “Is it time?”

“Yep,” Hugo smiled, holding out her Nimbus.  “And I hope you’re ready because Dad’s been bragging about how this is your year and Uncle Harry doesn’t stand a chance, but Uncle Harry’s confident he’ll beat you again.”

“You know …” Rose replied with a sly smile and a shrug.  “I think Dad may be right today.”

Hugo smirked and swaggered away, leaving Rose to muse just how much like James her brother really was.  “Good.  It’s time to show those old codgers their time has passed.”

 * * * * 

Rose grimaced as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, attempting to untangle her normally soft curls from the now ratty mess that they had become.  Of course, it was her own fault for not tying her hair back before flying and racing against Uncle Harry for more than three hours. 

“But it was worth it,” she muttered to herself, recalling with glee the look on her Uncle Harry’s face when, after flying side by side with him and enduring his smug ‘Alright there, Rose?’ comment, she narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, propelling her broom like she’d seen Scorpius do in all those matches to find that it actually worked, and within seconds, she landed on the ground and cheered in triumph at having outflown her Uncle Harry for the first time ever.

She’d grinned uncontrollably at Granddad cheering, “Well done!” and she’d thrown her arms around him and kissed his cheek.  But she’d been quite beside herself when her dad pulled her into a tight hug and tousled her hair, congratulating her with a heartfelt smile and a loud ‘That’s my girl!’ before boasting to Uncle Harry, ‘Admit it – she’s better than you were at this age and a damn sight better than _he_ ever was,’ as he gestured toward Uncle Charlie who offered a vulgar salute back in return. 

And for the first time all week, Rose felt as if she had her dad back.  

Rose sighed happily.  The day had ended up being everything that she loved so much about being at the Burrow and being a member of the Weasley family – carefree and fun-filled, unfettered yet loving teasing amongst the entire group.  Even the good-natured ribbing that she’d had to endure from her cousins about Scorpius had been nothing like what she’d expected.

She was ashamed that she really hadn’t given her family enough credit.  Of course, there had been a comment or two from several of the adults concerning the Malfoys in general, although very little had been said about Scorpius personally.  And she’d witnessed a few too many meant-to-be-private looks between her parents and between her dad and Uncle Bill or Uncle Harry.  But her expectations of more scrutiny hadn’t come to fruition, and she was more than a little relieved by it.

The only blot on an otherwise perfect day was that, for the first time all week, she hadn’t yet received an owl from Scorpius.  Not that she’d been all that surprised, since he had said in his letter the day before that it would probably be late since she was going to her grandparents’ house and he would thankfully be leaving his.  However, as she got undressed and slipped into his shirt and her shorts, Rose couldn’t deny that she was disappointed nevertheless.

But she’d see him the next day, and that thought made her tingle with excitement.  She was amazed at how much she’d missed him the past week.  Sure, she’d missed touching and kissing and shagging him, but more than that, she’d missed _him_.  She couldn’t count the number of times she’d thought of or heard something that she wanted to share with him.  The times she’d just wanted to bounce an idea off of him or giggle uncontrollably.  How much she just wanted to see his face and hear his voice and know that he was there.

The anticipation of getting back to school – and Scorpius – was nearly unbearable.  

Not quite ready to turn it, she went down to the kitchen to help herself to a cup of tea.  As she was heading back to her room, she caught a glimpse of a soft dim light coming from her mother’s study, and she turned back.

Her dad was sitting in his chair, flipping through a magazine, his feet bare and propped up in front of the fire.  A nearly full glass of Firewhiskey sat on the table beside his chair.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked as she walked into the room and sat down in her mother’s chair.  

“Sure,” he answered, setting the magazine on the floor beside his chair.  His eyes drifted down to the cup of tea in her hand and back up to her face; an eyebrow raised as he passed the Slytherin emblem adorning her shirt as it had every time he saw her wearing it.  “Trouble sleeping?”

“A bit.”

He chuckled.  “I’m surprised.  After that match earlier … I’ve never seen you fly better, Rosie.”

“Thanks.”  She blushed and grinned.  “I think it took Uncle Harry by surprise.”

“I’ll say,” he laughed.  “But it’s high time someone put him in his place.  Should’ve happened years ago.”

Rose giggled.  “It’s all a matter of patience, knowing when to move in and take what is rightfully mine.”

An odd look crossed his eyes before he turned and looked into the fire.  “Guess you’re ready to get back, then?”

“Yes and no,” Rose answered honestly with a slight shrug.  “I’ve really enjoyed the break from classes.  They’ve really been piling it on, under the excuse of getting us ready for N.E.W.T.s next year.  And Zabini is just becoming unbearable.”

Her dad chuckled.  “Once a cow, always a cow,” he mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear, and she giggled again.  

“I wish you could’ve seen her the morning after we took the Cup back.  She and Neville had a wager – she had to wear this hat with a big Gryffindor lion on it all day.  Cameron said it belonged to Luna –”

“I remember that hat,” her dad laughed.  “I would’ve paid good money to see her in it.”

“It would have been enough that Gryffindor won the Cup, but Slytherin being the team to clinch it for us made it even better,” Rose continued.  “James made them all honorary Gryffindors for the day.  It was brilliant.”

Her dad chuckled half-heartedly.  “I’m sure it was.”

“I am sorry not to have spent more time with you, though,” she confessed.  “I really thought we’d have a chance to.  I miss you, Dad.”

She watched a bittersweet grin spread across his lips.  “You’ve had a busy week,” he said quietly, not looking at her. 

“Yeah.  You too.”  

Rose took a sip of her tea and looked into the fire.

A part of her wanted so badly to put him on the spot and pose the questions that had been eating at her for weeks:  to find out why there was such animosity between Scorpius’s family and hers, to discover what he really thought of her relationship with Scorpius, and to deduce if he would ever accept Scorpius for himself and not forever think of him as Draco Malfoy’s son.

But then again, she warned herself, maybe it was best just to let things lie, to just move forward without the knowledge she sought or the blessing from her dad that she so desperately craved.

In the end, it really wasn’t much of a choice – she was too much her parents’ daughter to do anything else.

“Dad?  Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“I was wondering…”  Rose paused, biting her lip and telling herself to just do it, “I mean, you haven’t said, but…did you…what did you think of him…you know…of Scorpius?”

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and laid his head back against the chair.  “I don’t suppose I feel one way or the other about him.”

“Oh,” she replied, sure that her hurt and confusion were evidence in her voice.  “Is that it?  Don’t you have anything else to say?”

When he didn’t answer, Rose looked at him intently, her eyes taking in his very pained expression.

“Dad?  Please, tell me what it is,” she implored.  “Tell me that you hate my boyfriend.  Tell me that you’re disappointed that I didn’t tell you right away that Scorpius and I were going out.  Tell me that you’re angry that you found out about it from someone else first.  Tell me why there’s so much bad blood between you and Mr. Malfoy.  Please, just tell me!” 

He sighed heavily.  “It’s not a matter of liking or disliking Scorpius.  It’s more complicated than that.”

“Then what is it?  The fact that his last name is Malfoy?  That his father is Draco Malfoy?”  Rose huffed slightly.  “Don’t you think it’s time to let go of old school grudges?”

“There’s more to it than just a ‘school grudge’,” he said quietly, but his eyes were narrowed and an angry blush ran up his neck.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Rose.”

“Then tell me!” she repeated fervently, moving to the edge of her seat and facing him squarely.  “I _want_ to understand.  I know there are things you and Mum haven’t told us, things about the past, about when you were in school and the blood wars.  Why can’t you trust me enough to tell me?”

“Rose…” he began warningly, but Rose was afraid not to continue, in the event she never got up the nerve again.  

“I don’t see how you and Mum can be so progressive about things and then when it comes to people, be so closed-minded.  I mean, honestly, Dad, how can you hold Scorpius’s family against him?  How is that different from them holding it against me that I’m a half-blood?”

His eyes flashed and his jaw clenched as he turned to her sharply.  “Has he said that to you?”

“No,” she answered feebly.  “No!” she repeated more strongly.  “He’s never –”

“He’d bloody _better_ never… _They’d_ better never…”  He shook his head angrily and ran a hand through it in frustration as he took a deep breath.  “I won’t tell you not to go out with him, but I don’t want you near his family.  It’s bad enough to think you’ll be associating with Draco Malfoy, but the thought of Lucius anywhere near you…”  He huffed loudly.  “Promise me, Rose,” he said vehemently, his eyes boring into hers.  “Stay away from them.”

“Why?” she asked quietly.  “What’s so awful that you’re still not over it twenty-five years later?  It’s not like you to be so unforgiving.”

“Some things are unforgivable,” he muttered, turning away to glare at the fire.

“Is it because his grandfather was a Death Eater?” she asked quietly.  When he didn’t answer, she pressed again.  “Dad?”

“His grandfather isn’t the only Malfoy wearing that Mark, Rose,” he replied seriously, looking at her pointedly with a gaze full of emotion – full of frustration and fury and sorrow – and immediately she knew.

“What?” she whispered, shock resonating through her. “His father, too?”  She gasped when her dad nodded.  “But that can’t be … he never told me …”

Her dad snorted.  “I’m not surprised,” he mumbled.  “I reckon there’s a lot he hasn’t told you.”

Rose’s mind raced when her dad voiced the very thing she now feared.  How could Scorpius have kept it from her that not only was his grandfather a Death Eater – a title that was synonymous with hatred and cruelty and blood purity – but his father was, too?  And what else hadn’t he told her?  He’d led her to believe that he knew very little about the past just as she did; how could he not tell her what he knew when he knew how badly she wanted to know?  Could it really be that horrible?

“But…”

“Look, Rosie, you don’t need to know everything,” he said firmly.  “In fact, it’s better that you don’t.  Just know that those people are capable of _anything_.”  He picked up his glass and took a hefty drink from it.

“No, you can’t do that,” she cried.  “You can’t tell me something like that without telling me what happened.  What did they do?”

He shifted uncomfortably, sitting up and rubbing his face in his hands.  Finally, he rose and stood in front of the fire with his back to her.  He gripped the mantle with his right hand so tightly that his knuckles were white, and he ran his left hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end.

“What _didn’t_ they do?”  His voice trailed off and he took a deep breath before turning around to face her again.  “I don’t care how much they’ve tried to redeem themselves, or what public faces they put on, nothing can erase the past.  Lucius Malfoy is and always will be a self-serving, bigoted bastard who bought his way out of Azkaban, twice.  And from the first time we met him, Draco Malfoy did nothing but try to make our lives miserable.  Not that there was any love lost on our end either, but at least Harry and I never cursed him first.  And I can’t count the number of times he insulted your mother – how many times he threatened her – because she was Muggleborn.”

Rose gasped.  “He…did?”

Her dad nodded and replied bitterly, “Every chance he could.  Told me to my face he hoped she died.  If Harry hadn’t been there to stop me…”

“Who knows what you might’ve done,” her mother interjected from the door.  Rose whirled around and watched as she walked over and gently touched her dad’s face.  “You always were a hothead where he was concerned.”  She smiled softly and turned to Rose.  “And he was my knight in shining armor; even coughed up slugs for me.”

She handed Rose a small envelope.  “You had an owl, dear.”  

Rose took it and glanced at her name penned in Scorpius’s very familiar handwriting, her heart dropping into her stomach.  Rather than opening it, she laid it in her lap and looked back up at them.

“Am I interrupting something?” Her parents looked at each other intently, an entire conversation passing between them in that gaze, and Rose got the impression that this was not an unexpected discussion.

“Rose asked about the Malfoys,” her dad answered quietly.  “Why all the bad blood.”

“I see.”  Her mum sat on the edge of the ottoman facing Rose and sighed.  “Are you really sure you want to know, Rose?  There are reasons we chose not to tell you certain things about the past.  And once you do know, your perspective on things may change.  Are you prepared for that?”

Very slowly, Rose nodded, the heavy, ominous feeling in her heart expanding and the lump in the pit of her stomach settling.

“Hermione –” her dad said, defiance evident in his tone, “I don’t want to do this tonight.”

“She’s asked, Ron.  And she’s old enough to know.  You know it’s time,” she said quietly before turning back to take Rose’s hands in hers.  “What is it you’d like to know?”

“Everything,” Rose whispered.

For what seemed to stretch into an eternity, Rose sat in stunned silence as her parents proceeded to lay out the far-too-many sins of Lucius and Draco Malfoy, highlighting the acts that they considered the most egregious.

Slipping a Horcrux to Auntie Ginny that possessed her, caused her to open the Chamber of Secrets and release a basilisk to prey upon Muggleborns, and very nearly killed her.  

Torturing Muggles at the Quidditch World Cup.

Tricking Uncle Harry, leading all of them into the Ministry, and attacking them over a prophecy about him.

Rejoining the ranks of the Death Eaters during the blood war.

Attempting to murder Albus Dumbledore, and in the process, injuring Auntie Katie with a cursed necklace.

Nearly killing her dad with poisoned mead.

Standing by and watching as Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her mum, using the _Cruciatus_ on her to within an inch of her life, and promising to turn her over to a werewolf known for his cruelty so that he could finish her off.

“No!” she cried at that point, leaping to her feet and staring down at them, not even bothering to wipe away the tears streaming down her face and blurring her vision.  “That can’t be true!”

“Rose –” her mum began softly.

“I don’t believe…they couldn’t have been… _no one_ is that cruel!  

“Of course it’s true!” her dad replied angrily, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.  “You think we could make up something that…this…You have _no idea_ how cruel people can be.”Rose looked to her mum.  “I just can’t…how could they try to…k-kill you?” she whispered.

Her mum sighed sadly and wiped at her tears, pain evident in her eyes.  “I know.  It seems unthinkable –”

“It _was_ unthinkable!” her dad interjected, fury and anguish in his voice and on his face as he looked at her mum before turning back to Rose.  “They dragged her away from me by her hair…gloated about how they were going to hurt her…”  He wiped angrily at the tears streaking his cheeks and his hand tightly gripped her mother’s shoulder.  “Imagine being forced to listen to her screams…knowing there was nothing I could do…”  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, “They hurt her.  In that house where Lucius _still lives_.  They stood there – your boyfriend’s father and his parents – and watched as his aunt tortured your mother.  They listened to her scream and knew either it would kill her or Greyback would.  And they did nothing to stop it!”

Rose felt her blood run cold as she listened to her dad’s words; she could almost see it happening right before her eyes, and the picture he painted tore at her heart viciously.  She glanced at her mum – her face as white as a ghost – more than aware of the ramifications had Lestrange succeeded.

“ _Now_ do you see how this is more than just ‘a school grudge,’ as you put it?” her dad seethed as he squeezed her mum’s shoulder.  “You have no idea what that’s like –”  He stopped and took another deep breath, his gaze locking with her mum’s.  “I – I’ve got to –”  He gestured toward the door and her mum’s nod was almost indiscernible.  

Stunned, Rose watched in silence as her dad stormed from the room, his hands clinched into fists.

She felt a squeeze of her hand, and Rose turned back to meet her mum’s concerned gaze.  “We agreed a long time ago that when you asked about things, we’d be honest with you.  But so much of it is ugly, Rose, and your dad is having a hard time accepting that you’re finally old enough to tell you.  He doesn’t want to admit that you’re no longer his little girl.  But give him some time.  It’ll all be fine.”

“How can it be fine?” Rose cried.  “How can I –?”  She stopped and shook her head sadly as she wiped her face.  “I can’t talk about this anymore, either.  I just want to go to bed,” she muttered.

Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace.  “I’m sorry.  There’s nothing else I can say right now, but remember Dad and I love you very much.”

Rose nodded against her mothers shoulder, feeling the tears welling up again.  She eventually pulled away and turned, leaving the room without looking back but hearing her mum choke out a quiet sob.

Rose returned to her room and sat on her bed, trying to make sense of it all when the pieces fell into place:  the meeting at Kings Cross and how her dad and Uncle Harry reacted to Scorpius’s dad but her mum and Mr. Malfoy never acknowledging each other; how her dad could still be so affected all those years later; the time she overheard her dad crying to her mum about Fenrir Greyback and now knowing why.

And all those looks of uncertainty in Scorpius’s eyes at various times they talked about their families.  

_He knew._  

Of course, how could he _not_ have known that his dad was a Death Eater?  

But did he know the rest?  Did he know her mum was cursed repeatedly in his grandparents’ house?  Did he know her dad almost died from his dad’s ruthless and cowardly attempts on Dumbledore’s life? 

 Rose looked at the envelope in her hand for a moment before placing it, still unopened, on the bedside table.  She slid her fingers along the pocket then pulled the Slytherin shirt over her head and replaced it with a Cannons shirt from the end of her bed.  She brought her knees up and rested her arms over them, her head falling to them as she cried, thinking how overwhelming it had been for them to finally tell her what she’d wanted to know but admitting that her mum had been right – now that she knew, she wished she didn’t.  


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**  

_“That bitch Crucio’ed your mother within an inch of her life, Rose…They dragged her away from me by her hair…Imagine being forced to listen to her screams…”_  

_She stands paralyzed, being held back by a nameless, faceless man whose hot and smelly breath is loud in her ear as Bellatrix Lestrange, looking positively deranged with her wild, black eyes and maniacal smile, lifts her wand and cries out those horrible words …_  

_“_ _Filthy Mudblood!  CRUCIO!”_  

_In slow motion, Mum crumples to the ground and curls into the fetal position.  Rose cries out for them to stop but no sound comes out.  She struggles to help as Mum tries to fight off the torture being inflicted upon her, her screams echoing off the walls until the curse is finally lifted, as the others watch in amusement._  

_But Rose feels as if she is submerged underwater and cannot surface._   _Lucius Malfoy’s vile laughter fills the room.  He and Lestrange exchange a glance of agreement, and he turns to his son, directing that he is to ‘retrieve the Blood Traitor and teach him a lesson next’ as Lestrange turns back to Mum, once again raising her wand and opening her mouth to speak …_   

“No!” Rose cried out as her eyes flew open and her head jerked up.  She was stunned to find that she’d actually dozed off, still curled up in the middle of her bed in the same position that she’d been in when she first sat down and began sobbing her heart out.  She took slow, deep breaths, trying to stop the barrage of images that had been consuming her ever since her parents’ impassioned revelations.  

She needed to sleep, but she knew that true sleep wouldn’t come, at least not anytime soon.  Because every time she closed her eyes, she was bombarded with images – real and imaginary, memories and nightmares – and they taunted her mercilessly.  

Visions of her eighteen-year old Mum being _Crucio_ ’ed continued to haunt her, and yet, as horrible as it was, Rose knew that her mental image of the scene _had_ to pale in comparison to the reality of what they had, in fact, done to her mother.  Although she’d thankfully never seen it performed, Rose was very well aware of what the Cruciatus could do and the effects it rendered upon its victims due in part to the details Professor Bhandari had provided as part of their first sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts class, focusing primarily upon the horrible consequences rendered by the Unforgiveables, complete with photographs and Healer and victim accounts.  

But her family’s close relationship with the Longbottoms gave her a perspective beyond what they’d learned in class, and she and Hugo, along with Al, James, and Lily, observed first hand the true ramifications of being subjected to that curse at length.  For the past several years, early in November, their families had accompanied Cameron’s family to St. Mungo’s to visit his grandparents, who had been _Cruciuo_ ’ed into insanity by Death Eaters during the first conflict with Voldemort more than forty years before.  And every year, Rose dreaded going, seeing what Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom – once great Aurors – had been reduced to, how they were unable to really recognize their son and grandchildren.  It broke her heart every time she watched Neville delicately pocket or discretely pass to Lavender gum wrappers that his mum handed him or saw Cameron try unsuccessfully to communicate with his grandfather, who he looked almost exactly like, knowing how terribly it hurt him.

And the thought that _that_ particular curse had been inflicted repeatedly upon her mother made Rose feel physically ill and brought fresh tears to her eyes again.

“Oh Mum,” Rose half-choked, half-sobbed as she pulled another blanket around her shoulders, hugged her knees closer to her chest, and sobbed once again into her arms, recalling what she’d learned.  She was sure that she’d never forget the immense sadness in her mother’s eyes or her dad’s words that continued cutting through her like a sword as they replayed themselves over and over in her mind.

She’d seen the fierce look in his eyes, heard the desperation in his voice, observed the undeniable pain in his stance when he’d described to her what it had been like to be completely helpless in the face of it, felt like dying herself as she watched him falter and then storm from the room, overwhelmed by it all.  And as heartbreaking as their accounts were, _that_ was what had frightened Rose most, that her dad – who she’d always thought of as nearly indestructible – was truly broken by the memories of what her mother had endured and his inability to do anything to help her.  

And even though she had no doubts whatsoever that her parents were telling her the unadulterated truth, and she had seen, and heard, for herself what a truly cold and callous man Lucius Malfoy was even now, she still found it impossible to fathom how anyone could ever really be so heartless.  How could anyone really _do_ all the things that her parents had outlined?

And it hadn’t only been Lucius…

_“His grandfather isn’t the only Malfoy wearing that Mark, Rose.”_  

Those words tormented Rose on too many levels.

It was truly awful to hear her parents’ memories of how Draco Malfoy had threatened her mum and her Uncle Harry more than once, that he’d been proud to be a Death Eater and then proceeded to let Death Eaters into Hogwarts the night of Albus Dumbledore’s death, putting her parents and Uncle Harry, their friends, and other members of her family in tremendous danger; that very deed, in fact, leading to the attack on Uncle Bill.

Her disgust increased at the knowledge that he’d used the Imperius curse in order to try and murder Dumbledore himself, and in the process, used and disgraced Madame Rosmerta, a very dear friend of Gran’s, by making her an unwitting accomplice in the near deaths of her dad and Auntie Katie.

But she was truly heartbroken by the discovery that he’d stood there and watched as her dad and Uncle Harry were taken and locked away while her mother was held back and tortured.

Rose arranged a pillow behind her and took a deep breath as she scooted backwards on her bed and leaned back against the headboard, pulling a second pillow into her lap.  She glanced back at the clock, shocked to read 11:49 p.m.  How had it only been an hour that she’d been trying to make sense of this mess when it felt like much longer?  But then again, she thought, she didn’t really want morning – eleven o’clock to be precise – to come.  

And despite her admonishments and best efforts to ignore what she knew laid on the nightstand just to the side of her clock, Rose’s eyes fell to the small white envelope.  With some hesitation, she reached out and took it in her hand, her fingers smoothing over her name.

Her heart ached.  She wanted desperately to open the letter, to pretend as if nothing had happened, to forget the incredibly cruel treatment inflicted upon her parents by his family.

Her head fell back against her headboard, and she clamped her eyes shut.

_“I love you, Rose.  No matter what else, you have to know that.”_  

She took a deep breath, sat up, and laid the unopened envelope back on her bedside table.  

She just couldn’t do it right now.  She couldn’t stand to read that letter which was probably full of excitement about going back to school because, at the moment, Hogwarts was the last place she wanted to be.

And she wasn’t sure what she was going to say or how she should react when she faced him.

She leaned over and grabbled his shirt from the end of the bed where she’d dropped it earlier and ran her fingers across the Slytherin emblem on the shirt pocket, wiping at tears with her other hand.

What the hell was she supposed to do?

One thing Rose was completely sure of, despite everything, was that she was in love with Scorpius Malfoy.  And there was no doubt in her mind that what she felt for him was real, honest-to-god-I-can-see-us-together-in-the-future love.  Being apart from him for the past week, talking to him only via owl, had simply confirmed this fact even more in her mind.

But she’d also be lying to herself if she said that the things she’d heard from her parents didn’t matter.  How could she possibly pretend that his father’s actions hadn’t almost killed her parents?  

And she was worried that her dad had been right – that there was a lot Scorpius knew – things he _had_ to know – but never told her.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t mentioned it more than once, the desire to find out what had happened to cause such bad feelings between their families, even as recently as earlier in the week on their date in Diagon Alley.  It wasn’t as if she hadn’t given him plenty of opportunities to confide in her.

How could he not have told her? 

She really needed to talk to him.  It wouldn’t be fair to make rash assumptions without first giving him an opportunity to explain his side, to tell her what he’d known and why he hadn’t told her.  Then maybe they could figure out how to get past all this.  Together.

As she carefully folded his shirt again and placed it beside her on the bed, Rose was gripped with an overwhelming need to talk to with her parents again, and without really thinking about whether they’d still be awake, she slipped off the bed and out her door.  She passed quietly down the corridor past Hugo’s room, the sounds of his snores resonating inside, before stopping outside her parents’ closed door.  She could see that their light was still on, and she could hear muffled voices inside.

She knocked softly, immediately hearing her mum’s quiet, “It’s open, dear,” as if she’d been expecting her.

Rose took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.  She wasn’t sure what scene she’d expected to encounter, but for some reason, the sight of her mum propped up in bed with her feet tucked under her, listening to the wireless and reading as if it was just another normal evening, as if nothing had happened, caught Rose completely off guard.

“Um…” she started, now unsure about what she wanted to say.  “I, uh…I just wanted to…”

“It’s okay, love.”  Mum closed her book and moved her legs, patting the bed beside her as she smiled sadly, and Rose noticed that her eyes were red-rimmed.  “What’s on your mind?”

Rose nearly snorted in response as she climbed onto the end of her parents’ bed and curled her knees up under the edge of her Dad’s old shirt, fighting hard to refrain from replying with the first thing to pop into her mind, a sardonic ‘Oh, I don’t know, what do you think?’  Instead, she replied with a shrug, refusing to allow her naturally defensive sarcasm from creeping into her voice.  “I couldn’t sleep.”  

Her mum reached out and took her gently by the hand.  “I’m not surprised.  We’ve given you a tremendous amount to think about, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah.”  Rose answered noncommittally as she looked around.  “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s in the shower,” she answered, gesturing slightly towards the closed door to her right.

“Now?”  Rose quirked her eyebrow quizzically.

Mum chuckled half-heartedly.  “He just got back from the Quad.”

“Oh,” Rose replied with a nod.  She should have known when Dad stormed out of the room earlier that he’d be Apparating to the Auror training room at the Ministry.  He escaped there anytime he was particularly frustrated or agitated to unleash his temper on the boxing bag, and she vaguely wondered if he’d had Uncle Harry meet him there like he usually did.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment and Rose worried with the frayed edge of the quilt that she knew Gran had given her parents when they got married.  She looked up only when Mum squeezed her hand and asked, “Is there something else you’d like to know, Rose?  It’s okay.  You know that you can ask Dad and I anything.”

Rose nodded.  There were so many things she was questioning; only now that she was here, she wasn’t sure where to start.  Rose was quite sure that she wasn’t at all ready to ask her mum about the torture.  Even that fleeting thought made her cringe; she wasn’t sure that she’d _ever_ be able to broach that subject entirely.  

So she focused on something else that had been running through her mind.

“Yeah, about that,” she started, pulling away her hand as she tried somewhat unsuccessfully to control her emotions.  “I really wish you’d told me these things sooner.  Especially once I started school.  It makes me wonder how many people know things that I don’t.”

“Much of what we told you tonight is not common knowledge, Rose,” her mum said, and Rose could detect a touch of defensiveness.  “As for not telling you sooner, that was a decision that we made a long time ago, and –”

“So if I’d never asked, you’d never have told me?” Rose interjected impatiently, her own resentment quickly shifting into anger.

“No, we wouldn’t have ever told you.”

“And who made this decision?”

Her mum fixed her with an intense gaze that Rose held defiantly.  “Dad and I made the decision along with Harry and Ginny.  And the rest of the family agreed with us.”

“How is that fair?” Rose demanded.  “Don’t you think we had a right to know?”

“It was our choice to make, Rose, and ours alone,” her mum answered tersely.  “And no, you don’t have a right to know everything.  We may be your parents, but that fact does not give you carte blanche access to every detail about our lives, either now or in the past.”

“Are you going to tell Hugo?”

Her mum took a deep breath.  “Yes, I suppose we will.”

“You need to,” Rose muttered as she once again studied the edge of their quilt.  She wasn’t purposely trying to goad her mother in any way, nor was she trying to hurt her, but on some level, Rose was so upset with them for keeping this information from her for so long that she couldn’t quite help it.

As for herself, she had been organizing it all in her mind so that she could tell Al first thing when she saw him the next day.  She was just about to ask her mum another question when she heard a door open and she glanced up to see her dad walk out of the bathroom, clad in his baggy pajama bottoms, scrubbing his head with a towel.

“Fuck, I needed that –” he stopped when he moved the towel and saw Rose.  His gaze drifted back to her mum, and Rose noted he once again wore a pained expression.  “Everything alright?”

Rose felt the bed shift when her dad slid onto it beside her mum who nodded.  “It’s fine.  Rose just had a few more questions about things.  I told her that we’d do our best to answer anything she asked.”

He ran his fingers through his still damp hair.  “Yeah,” he agreed quietly.  “We’ll tell you whatever else you need to know.”

She studied them for a moment, feeling as if, in many ways, she was seeing them for the first time.  Of course she’d seen pictures of them and heard various anecdotes from their childhoods and _known_ that they had lives before she and Hugo were born.  And she’d had questions about certain aspects of their lives when they were younger, but, she realized, usually only as to how they related to or affected her and whatever she was going through.  And she was somewhat abashed that she’d considered what they were like at her age in such limited ways.

“I suppose I…it’s hard to imagine having to face all of those things…I mean, you were my age when a lot of that happened,” she mused.  “Weren’t you scared?”

“Shitless,” her dad said at the same time her mother answered, “Of course,” and Rose couldn’t help giggling slightly at her mum’s eye roll and her dad’s sheepish grin.

“But you still did it,” Rose stated.  

“We didn’t have a choice,” her dad answered seriously.  “Harry needed us.”

Rose nodded, needing no further explanation.  She’d long admired the relationship between her parents and Uncle Harry, who were all much closer than in-laws or even friends, sharing a bond that was simply indescribable and unlike any other that Rose had ever seen.  She figured that she and Al shared something similar, but now, better understanding the extent of what the three of them had truly shared together, Rose wasn’t sure that such a bond existed elsewhere.

“But Mr. Malfoy…Scorpius’s dad,” she clarified.  “How could he be a Death Eater?  I mean, he’s your age.  I thought they were all older.”

“Most of them were,” her mum agreed.  “But some of the original Death Eaters’ children followed in their parents’ footsteps.”

“And naturally Malfoy had so much to live up to and make up for,” her dad mumbled sarcastically.  “What with Lucius in Azkaban, someone had to take up his cause.”

Her mum shook her head slightly.  “Their children were recruited, but only one or two of them actually got the Mark.  And I’m still not entirely sure it was voluntary –”

Her dad huffed loudly.  “Sure it was, and you well know it.  Don’t you remember – Malfoy always was a big talker, wasn’t he?”

“But why him?” Rose asked.  “Weren’t there seventh years they could have recruited?  Why would they want a sixteen year old to join them?  He wasn’t even of age.”

“He had ready access to Dumbledore,” her mum said simply.  “Voldemort understood he could accomplish things that the other Death Eaters couldn’t.  And I believe that he was trying to teach Lucius and Narcissa a lesson about obedience.”

“But…if everyone knew –”

“That’s just it, love.  We _didn’t_ know.  I imagine that only a few of Draco’s closest friends knew for sure,” her mother explained with a sigh.  “Your Uncle Harry suspected it from the first of the year and tried to convince us that Draco was up to something, but neither of us took him seriously until it was too late.  By then, he’d worked out a way to let the Death Eaters into the castle, and … well, you know the rest.”

 “So he did it willingly,” Rose muttered, not quite a question but not entirely a statement either.

“Of course he was willing,” her dad responded, anger and annoyance resounding in his voice.  “But I reckon he wasn’t really given much of a choice either.  I expect that both Voldemort and Lucius were more than persuasive.”

Rose noticed her mum’s hand curl tightly around her dad’s, and she sensed how reluctant he was to make such an admission in Mr. Malfoy’s favor.  “And I believe that it was easier for him before he had to really get his hands dirty.  But when he was expected to participate directly, he couldn’t do it.”  She glanced over to Rose’s dad then back to Rose.  “No matter how atrocious his behavior was in school, he wasn’t capable of the type of cruelty that was required.”

“But Dad said…that they watched as you were…when they…”  

Her voice faltered and her eyes dropped into her lap; she couldn’t bring herself to even say the words. 

Her mother’s hand squeezed hers once more.  “Draco was there, but he didn’t participate.  He didn’t do anything to stop it,” Rose saw her dad flinch, “but there honestly wasn’t anything he could have done.  Lestrange would have simply killed him and continued without batting an eye.”

“His own aunt would have killed him?” Rose asked in shock, unable to fathom the concept of anyone in her family harming another of them.

“She was evil, Rose.  Loyal only to Voldemort,” her dad answered.  “No one else mattered, not her cousin once he turned his back on the Blacks, not even her sister and her family.  But she got hers in the end.”

Rose nodded.  One of the few things that she’d grown up knowing was that Gran had killed Bellatrix Lestrange in a duel during the final battle, protecting Auntie Ginny after Lestrange had nearly hit her with the killing curse.  _That_ was common knowledge from the history books.

“But what about Mr. Malfoy’s parents?”  Rose sneered unconsciously at the thought of Scorpius’s grandfather.  “They were there, right?  When Lestrange…you know…to you?  They were a part of it, and it happened at their house.  How is it that they’re not in Azkaban?”

Her parents looked at each other, her mum sighing heavily and her dad taking a deep, angry breath, but neither of them said anything for a moment.  Rose sat there anxiously, watching a myriad of emotions play over each of their faces.

“We didn’t tell anyone about the torture,” her mum replied finally.  “We didn’t report it, and even now, very few people know anything about it.”

“Why?” she asked incredulously, before turning her focus upon her dad and glaring at him.  “How could you not report this?”

“Rose –” her mum began, only to be cut off by her dad.

“It was up to your Mum, Rose.  Her decision.  What she wanted, not me.  If it had been up to me, they would never have seen the light of another day.”  

He shook his head and held up his hand when her mum looked like she was going to interrupt him.  “Let me finish, Hermione,” he said through gritted teeth before closing his eyes for a moment and taking several calming breaths.  “Voldemort had control over the Ministry and St. Mungo’s at the time.  We were in hiding, out searching for Horcruxes, and the last place we wanted to be was where _they_ were.  After it happened, I took Mum to Shell Cottage, and she recovered there.  At first, even they didn’t know what had happened, but I couldn’t…” his voice faltered slightly and he took another deep breath before continuing, “Bill sort of figured it out one night and told Fleur.  But only those of us there at Shell Cottage and Ginny know about it.”

“You never told Gran and Granddad?  Nana and Pops?” Rose asked, shaking her head in disbelief when her mum whispered, “No.”

“Why not?”  Rose cried.  She didn’t understand how they could keep something like that a secret from their parents or why in hell they didn’t report it to the Ministry after the fact.  It was just… _incomprehensible_.  Those people deserved to rot as far as she was concerned.  “Why didn’t you tell everyone once Voldemort was gone?  So they could pay for what they did?”

Her dad pursed his lips and looked away as her mum patted her hand knowingly.  “Once it was over, there was really no reason to rehash it all again.  I’d fully recovered, and telling your grandparents would only have upset them unnecessarily.”

“But you should have turned them in!” Rose demanded.  “How could you let them get away with that?  They didn’t deserve to…not after...” She shook her head again angrily, fighting back the hot tears that threatened once again.  She didn’t want to cry again, especially in front of them; she didn’t want them to know just how devastated she was by everything they’d told her, how worried she was about the ramifications of their revelations.

But nothing could have prepared her for her mum’s reply.

“Because Narcissa Malfoy spared your Uncle Harry’s life, Rose,” she said softly, her own eyes brimming with tears.  

Rose felt the breath leaving her chest.  “What?” she managed, her voice barely a whisper.  “How?”

Her mum’s hand tightened around her dad’s and she turned her head, wiping her cheek.

Her dad cleared his voice.  “When he was in the Forest, challenging Voldemort, Narcissa lied to him on Harry’s behalf and told him that Harry was dead.”

Rose was nearly speechless.  This declaration added a whole new dynamic to her quandary.

“But…” she stammered, no longer caring that tears were rolling down her cheeks, “after all that you’ve told me…how they felt…and the things they did…why would she do that?”

“To save Draco,” her mum replied softly.  “Harry said that Draco was her only concern.”

“But…she risked her life…”

“You’ll understand one day.”  Mum smiled as she squeezed her hand.  “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand.”

“It’s shocking what parents will do for their kids, Rosie,” her dad muttered, nudging her knee with his foot.  Rose watched Dad slip his arm around Mum and pull her close, gently wiping tears from her cheek, and she smiled slightly, marveling at her parents’ devotion to each other.  Her dad motioned for her, and Rose slid into the crook of his other arm, melting into his chest as he pulled her close as well.  She immediately felt more relaxed – safe – and before she knew it, her eyes were heavy, and her last thought as she finally drifted off to sleep was how thankful she was to have the parents she did.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**  

“Hugo!” Rose heard her mum calling as she knocked loudly on her brother’s door down the hall.  “Please tell me you’re out of bed.  I told you to set your alarm for half an hour ago.”

The door creaked and Rose couldn’t resist snickering at her brother’s horrified, “Merlin, Mum!  I’m up, alright?  Just give me a few minutes.”

“Fine, but please don’t dawdle.  We’re expected at Grimmauld Place at a quarter of nine for breakfast.”

Rose heard the door shut in unison with Hugo’s muffled “ _I know_!  Blimey!  I _said_ I’d be right down!” and, as expected, a knock sounded upon her own door.  But even though she knew it was coming, she startled slightly as she pulled a navy jumper over her head.

“Rose?  Are you up?”  Her mum pushed open the door just enough to stick her head in.  “Good, and you’re dressed already.”

“Hmm hmm,” Rose mumbled as she sat on the window seat and pulled on her loafers.  

Her mum pushed the door open and leaned against the doorway.  “Come on down then and join us for coffee.  Your dad’s already downstairs.”

Rose crossed the room and picked up the hairbrush on her vanity, meeting her mother’s eye in the mirror as she began running it through her hair.  “I can’t.  I’m going on over to Al’s.”

“Oh?” her mum asked, and Rose could hear a mixture of surprise and disappointment in her voice.  “Don’t you want to wait and go with us?”

Rose looked down and away from her gaze as she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail.  

As was her family’s typical routine, begun when Hugo and Lily started Hogwarts, they would be taking the Floo to Grimmauld Place for breakfast before going over to Kings Cross to catch the train, and she’d overheard Mum and Auntie Ginny talking about it as they’d tidied up the kitchen after lunch at the Burrow the previous day, so she knew what time they were all expected.  And seeing as it was already after eight, Rose also knew that she’d only have a short time as it was before the rest of them arrived in order to fill Al in on what she’d learned the night before.  Because there was no way she was getting on that train without telling him all about it.

“I need to…” She turned around to face her mother, shaking her head.  “Mum, you know I have to talk to Al about…well, _everything_ , and I couldn’t possibly do it on the train,” she said softly.

“And I suppose it’s too much for me to ask that you not to tell Al straight away?”  When Rose didn’t reply but simply stared at her disbelievingly, her mother continued, speaking almost to herself, a look of resignation on her face.  “I can’t say as I’m surprised.  You’re just like Ron, Harry, and I, you two…I don’t expect there’s anything that you don’t share with him, is there?”  She sighed heavily, a thoughtful look on her face.  “Sweetheart, I understand your need to share with Al, but your dad and I feel strongly about maintaining our privacy, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t discuss what we told you with Ellie and the rest of your friends.  It was difficult enough to rehash those things with you, and we know we’ll have to do it again at some point soon with Hugo, but there’s still no reason for others to know, and we would really like your discretion.”

Rose was shocked.  “Of course,” she replied emphatically, thinking that it was one thing to tell Al what she’d learned – he was not only her best friend and confidante, he was family, after all – but it was quite another thing entirely to share her parents’ most painful secrets with anyone else.  “I would never dream of telling Ellie or anyone else.”

“And does that ‘anyone else’ include Scorpius?” her mum asked gently.  

“I haven’t decided yet,” Rose answered honestly, turning back to stuff her remaining things into her bag, as the thought that he probably already knew it all anyway ran through her mind.  “But don’t worry.  If I do, I’ll make sure he understands the importance that it’s kept a secret.”  She picked up his letter, still unopened, and glanced at it for a moment.  “Seems he’s quite good at keeping secrets,” she muttered under her breath.

Her mother glanced at the envelope in Rose’s hands before once again looking up at her.  “What do you have there?”

“His letter from last night.”

“Aren’t you going to read it?”

She shrugged, looking away and placing the letter inside her bag before closing it.  “I dunno.  Maybe.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” her mum pressed, pausing until Rose met her gaze.  “Love, I know you’re still trying to digest everything you’ve learned and that you’re understandably upset and confused…”

“You have no idea what I’m feeling,” Rose interrupted.  “You couldn’t possibly, because _I_ have no idea what I’m feeling right now.  About everything you told me and…about where things stand with him.”  She bit her thumbnail and looked out the window to her right.  “But please don’t pretend that you aren’t secretly glad; I know you and Dad don’t like him.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her mum cross her arms over her chest.  “That is entirely unfair and uncalled for, don’t you think?” she asked testily.  “We have never said we don’t like him.  We don’t even know him.  And you should understand that it’s not about that at all.  We love you and only want what’s best for you.”

“God, Mum, I know that,” Rose replied, once again focusing her gaze out the window.  “And I asked for this.  You warned me…told me to be sure I really wanted you to explain about the animosity with his family, but I just _had_ to know and I begged you to tell me everything.  So you did…you told me what I wanted to know.  Plain and simple.”

She sighed as she turned back around to face her mother, recognizing that in actuality, the entire situation was neither plain nor simple.  “I was aware of the way things were when I started up with him and that you and Dad wouldn’t like it.  I just…well, I never could’ve guessed your reasons.  And I’d hoped that once you met him, you’d see why I lo-…why I care about him so much.  I mean, he’s _nothing_ like what you’ve described his family being like,” she said fiercely.

“I wouldn’t expect you to love him if he was,” her mum observed, staring at Rose pointedly, although her tone of voice exuded understanding.  “And whether you choose to believe it or not, your opinion holds a great deal of weight with us as well.  Even if we aren’t particularly pleased with the situation, we will always support whatever decisions you make in your life.  And that includes accepting Scorpius as a part of it, if necessary.”

“I’m sorry,” Rose sighed heavily.  “I know you just want me to be happy, and I’ve always appreciated your support.  It’s just…I don’t know,” she muttered.

“Sweetheart, if you want to talk –”  

“Look, Mum, I can’t think about it right now.  But don’t worry.  It’s fine.  I’m fine.  I’ll figure it out, okay?” Rose said somewhat impatiently, throwing her bag over her shoulder.  If she didn’t get a move on, she and Al would have no time at all.  

Glancing up on her way out the door, she was somewhat ashamed when she saw the hurt look on her mother’s face, and she paused in front of her.  “Oh Mum, I love you.  And I appreciate everything you’ve said.  Really.”  Rose leaned over and planted a kiss against her mum’s cheek before brushing past her in the doorway.  “I just need to go,” she said pleadingly.  “So I’ll see you there in a bit, alright?”  And without waiting for a reply, she hurried down the corridor and the stairs, slipped into the study, and grabbed a handful of Floo powder.

Her mind was racing as she distinctly proclaimed “Grimmauld Place” and began moving quickly towards her destination.

She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she was immensely irritated this morning.  She’d been disoriented when she woke just after seven, lying crossways on her bed, covered only by a blanket, her face buried in her pillow, and it had taken her a minute to get her bearings straight.  And for that brief moment, she’d thought, maybe, that everything with her parents had been a bad dream.  But one look at the faded orange Cannons shirt she was wearing dashed that feeble hope.

In the light of day, Rose’s thoughts were both clearer and murkier.  The initial shock was gone, mostly, only to be replaced by this overwhelming sense of hurt.  

And her aggravation set in full force.

It was still difficult to fathom all that her parents had been forced to endure when they’d been younger, and while the knowledge gave her a newfound appreciation for them and greatly increased the amount of respect she had for them, Rose was still annoyed that she was just finding out about it.  She couldn’t understand why they’d chosen not to tell her and Hugo.  _We’re their children_ , she’d thought in indignation.  _They shouldn’t keep things from us.  And we especially have a right to know things like that._ Not to mention the implication of what she’d learned that had to be dealt with…

“ – have already told you absolutely not, James Potter!  And it will be your hide if I get any owls from either Neville or Septima!” Auntie Ginny was yelling up the stairs as Rose stumbled through the fireplace and into the drawing room of Grimmauld Place.  “Harry, please deal with _your son_ before I hex him into tomorrow!”

“Careful there,” Uncle Harry cautioned with a chuckle, grabbing hold of Rose’s arm to steady her as she adjusted her knapsack over her shoulder.  

“Thanks,” she mumbled, dusting herself off.  

Auntie Ginny turned and waved absently at Rose, a very frustrated look on her face.  “Good morning, Rose.  Go on up…Al’s in his room packing.  See if you can hurry him along.  And if you happen by James, tell him I’m not finished with him yet.”  And with that, she turned on her heel and headed down the corridor to the door leading to the kitchen, muttering something that Rose couldn’t make out.

As she started for the stairs, Rose heard Uncle Harry clear his throat in what was barely concealed amusement and she looked around, catching him in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle a yawn.  Her eyes drifted up to his forehead and the scar that she really hadn’t paid much mind to for as long as she could remember.  And despite her somewhat bitter feelings about having been kept in the dark about their past, she felt a surge of emotions overtake her.  She’d always known her uncle was special – famous for having defeated Voldemort and being the youngest ever Head of the Aurors Office – but now, after learning more intimate details of the trials that he had endured alongside her parents, she felt a gratitude wash over her that she wasn’t sure she could ever express.  

Her eyes met his, and on impulse, she turned back and quickly hugged him, whispering an emotional “Thank you, Uncle Harry.”  She pulled back just as quickly, before he was really able to return the embrace, and turned towards the stairs, pausing only slightly when he replied quietly, “Anytime, Rose.”

She continued to be overcome with thoughts as she made her way up the stairs to the fourth level.  Loud music was coming from inside James’s room before her, and she recognized his voice belting along to the latest from The Brothers Grimm.

Al’s door was open, and Rose knocked once with a “Morning,” as she entered, looking around at the chaos that was otherwise known as Al’s room.  She had questioned him more than once how it was that he could find anything in there, and each time, Al had laughed and assured her that he had his own method of madness and knew where everything was so long as no one messed with it.

“Hullo Rose,” Al looked up from his trunk with a surprised grin.  “I’m not that late, am I?  Or did Mum fetch you in an attempt to get me moving faster?”   

“No, I’m early,” Rose replied softly and pulled the door shut.  “Honestly, though, how can you stand that?”

“What?  I thought you liked The Brothers Grimm.”

“I do,” she replied with a roll of her eyes.  “But the ‘James Potter version’ of ‘Good Times’ leaves something to be desired.”

Al chuckled.  “Yeah.  When he sings it, it’s more like ‘Bad Times,’ isn’t it?  For our ears, anyway.”

“Definitely.”  Rose picked up a stack of messily folded clothes and handed them to Al as she sat on his bed, watching him pack by hand.  She slipped her bag from her shoulder and set it on his pillow.  “Why are you doing it like that?  It would only take you about ten seconds if you used magic.”

Al huffed.  “Thanks to the arsehole across the way,” he motioned towards the door and James’s room, “Mum banned us from using any magic this morning.”

“Why?  What did he do?”

“Who knows,” he grumbled, throwing another few items into his trunk and closing it   With a thud, he pushed it to the floor and sat in its former place on his bed.  “But _something_ happened before I got up, because Mum’s been in a foul mood, and the two of them have been at it all morning.”

“She did seem really pissed off before,” Rose observed.  “But your dad looked like he was amused.”

Al laughed.  “Yeah, whatever it was, Dad isn’t nearly as put out by it as Mum.  And you know how much that gripes her.  ‘You’d better do something about _your son_ , Harry,’” Al mimicked in a high pitched voice, causing Rose to laugh aloud for the first time all morning and almost forget why she was there.

Almost.

“Al,” she began, her laughter fading.  “I need to talk to you about something really important ...”

“Al!  Rose!”  

The two of them jerked around to see Auntie Ginny’s head and shoulders through the semi-opened door.  Once again, loud off-key singing filtered into the room.

“Um…yeah, Mum?” Al asked, glancing nervously at Rose, who felt like screaming in annoyance.  

_Oh dear God_ , she thought, hoping feverishly that Auntie Ginny hadn’t heard them, especially in the mood she was apparently in, but also that she would just be quick about it and leave them the hell alone.

“I knocked, although I’m not surprised you couldn’t hear me with that racket…hold on.”  She turned and beat on James’s door.  “James Sirius Potter!  Turn that music down!” she yelled, poking her head inside his room.  Immediately, both the loud music and his singing decreased several decibels.

“That’s better,” Auntie Ginny continued, returning to Al’s doorway.  “Romilda’s just owled.  She and Terry have an appointment with her Healer, so Ellie is Flooing over shortly,” she looked pointedly at Al, “and I thought you might want to tidy up a bit.”  She glanced at Rose.  “Rose, dear, convince my son that it simply won’t do for his girlfriend to see his room like this.”

“Alright, Mum,” Al replied in exasperation, his cheeks flushed pink.  “ _Thanks_.  I get the picture.”

“I surely hope so.”  Auntie Ginny shook her head and sighed.  “Finish up, and I’ll let you know when she gets here.”

Rose’s heart dropped as the door clicked shut.  Not that she wouldn’t normally want Ellie there, but if Ellie was there, she could kiss her plans of talking with Al about _that_ goodbye.

She felt the bed shift and looked up to find him scurrying around his room, kicking a pile of what appeared to be socks under his bed and straightening papers on his desk.  “Want me to help?” she asked, pulling out her wand.  “ _I’m_ not under Auntie Ginny’s restrictions.”

“No,” he answered quickly.  “As long as I do it, I’ll remember where everything is.”  He moved several books back to the bookshelf.  “Besides, if I let you do it, you’ll probably alphabetize them or something like all the bookshelves in your house,” he said with a chuckle.  

Rose rolled her eyes.  “That’s Mum’s doing, and you know it.”

“Yeah,” he continued, shooting her a knowing look.  “But I’m sure when Scorpius visits your house for the first time, your room will be all pristine and spotless.”  He turned back to shelve several more books.  “Now, what was it you were saying earlier?  About needing to talk?”

Rose felt her face blanch, and Al quirked an eyebrow when he turned back to her.  “What’s with you?  You look like you’ve just eaten a Puking Pastille.”

“I’m just not sure that it’ll ever happen,” she replied quietly, looking down at her hands, fidgeting in her lap.  “That he’ll ever…”

“Sure he will,” Al said with a chuckle.  “Uncle Ron might allow him in the house by the time you’re thirty-five.”

When she didn’t respond, he glanced back at her, his smile quickly fading.  He sat back down on the bed across from her.  “Rose?  What is it?  What happened?”

“Well…that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.  I had a long talk with Mum and Dad last night,” Rose started, “about the blood wars and why there’s so much loathing with Scorpius’s family and ours.  And it’s…” she shook her head and swallowed hard, her heart dropping and a heavy lump rising in her throat, “it’s worse than I ever thought possible.”

“How so?  What’d they tell you?”

“Mum almost died,” Rose whispered, looking up at him sorrowfully, unsure if she could even say the words.  “She was…Bellatrix Lestrange used _Crucio_ on her.”

Rose wondered if the look of shock on Al’s face mirrored her own at the news.  “Oh my god,” he stammered.  “That’s –”

She nodded, wiping away the stray tears that had sprung up on her.  “Yeah, I know.  I still can’t believe anyone would try to kill Mum like that.  And it was all because she’s Muggleborn.”

“Stupid blood purity shit,” Al grumbled angrily.  “How can anyone with any intelligence ever believe in such rubbish?  The whole lot of them oughta be flogged.”

“You’re right,” Rose agreed.  “Only…that isn’t everything.  There’s more to it than that.  They were…my parents and your dad were captured and taken to Scorpius’s grandfather’s house, and that’s where it happened.  As they were waiting to turn Uncle Harry over to Voldemort, they…” she swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked away more tears, “they hurt Mum and forced Dad and Uncle Harry to listen to them doing it.”

“Shit, Rose.  When _was_ this?”

“Sometime while they were on the run.  Before the Battle of Hogwarts.  But they escaped – _that_ was how Dobby died – and took Mum to Shell Cottage.”

Al took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up more than usual.  “Fucking hell.  No wonder everyone dislikes Lucius Malfoy so much.  I knew it had to be more than his being a Death Eater.”

“Actually,” she said with a heavy sigh, her voice laced with disbelief and resentment, “hardly anyone in the family knows about it.  Mum said that after it was over, she didn’t want to upset everyone, so the only ones who know are those who were there.”  

“So Gran and Granddad…?” he asked incredulously.

Rose shook her head angrily.  “Nope.  Nana and Pops either.  Only your parents, Uncle Bill, and Auntie Fleur, along with Luna and Mary Thomas’s dad because they were there, but no one else in the family knows.  Not even Hugo yet.  And that’s how Mum and Dad want to keep it, so you can’t mention it to anyone else.”

“As if I would,” Al huffed.  “Come on, Rose.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.  “I really wasn’t insinuating that you would.  Honest.  It’s just…”

“I know you weren’t.”  He paused.  “You know, I never really thought about the stuff they didn’t tell us about the blood wars,” he mused.  “I mean, you’ve always been curious, lately especially, but I’ve just always thought that there wasn’t much else to know; that they never really talked about it because we already knew everything we needed to.  Guess you were right after all.”

“Wish I hadn’t been,” Rose mumbled.  “Complicates things.”

“Yeah,” Al agreed.  “No wonder Dad never talks about how Dobby died.”

Rose nodded.  They’d all grown up hearing about Dobby, the House-Elf who Uncle Harry had freed after Dobby had saved his life.  And they’d known that he’d died during the war, his name etched alongside so many others on the tribute statue erected near Albus Dumbledore’s tomb, but Uncle Harry had never given any further explanation, and Rose had just always assumed that he’d died at the Battle of Hogwarts.

“So is that everything?  Not that _that_ isn’t enough,” Al clarified, a look of dismay still present on his face.

Rose shook her head.  “No, there’s more.  More that Lucius Malfoy did…” she bit her lip, for once unsure about sharing something with him and not feeling comfortable about disclosing anything more concerning his parents without their having condoned it, “and more stuff about Scorpius’s dad.”

Al looked at her expectantly, and she once again felt her heart drop into her stomach as she spoke.

“They were there when it happened…when they did that to my mum.”

“They?”

“Yes,” she whispered.  “Scorpius’s grandparents and his dad…it was their house, after all, and they were there.  They didn’t actually do it, but they didn’t try to stop it, either.”

“His dad?”

She took a deep breath and nodded, her face burning.  “Al, Scorpius’s dad was a Death Eater, too.”

“Fuck me,” he murmured.  “God, Rose, I’m sorry.”

Rose dropped her eyes back into her lap.  “And…he never told me.  About any of it.”

Of course, she knew that Al would understand how much this bothered her, that he, of all people, could guess the questions that plagued her when she got past the horror of what had happened with her parents to the other side of it all.  How could Scorpius not have told her?  Hadn’t she shown him she’d be accepting when they’d discussed his grandfather and his status as a Death Eater?  Didn’t he trust her to do the same for his father?  Naturally, she’d have been shocked – appalled, even – but she would have listened and recognized that it was all in the past, right?  Didn’t he know her well enough to recognize that she could separate him from his father and his grandfather?  Hadn’t she proved that it made no difference _to her_ which family he belonged to?  That _he_ was the one she was interested in?  That she loved him no matter what?

“Who?  Scorpius?  Do you really think he knows?”

Rose arched an eyebrow and glared at him.  “Of course he knows.  Kind of difficult to hide something like a Dark Mark for seventeen years, don’t you think?”

Al blew out a breath, clearly choosing his words carefully.  “That’s not what I meant.  _Obviously_ , he would know that his dad was a Death Eater.  I mean about the rest of it…about Auntie Hermione.  Do you really think he knows about that?”

Rose stood and walked to his window, looking down at the street below.  “I don’t know,” she replied sadly.  “I really don’t.  And now I have no idea what I’m supposed to do or how I’m supposed to react.”

“Why do you have to do anything or react in any way?”

“I’m in love with him, Al, and…I mean, I _know_ he’s not his father and he’s most definitely _not_ his grandfather.  But I don’t…how am I supposed to act…what am I supposed to do with this information?”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to _do_ anything, are you?” Al reasoned.  “I mean, as far as Uncle Ron and Auntie Hermione are concerned, there isn’t anything you can do to change the past, is there?  You wanted to know things so they told you.  And yes, it’s horrendous and something that you probably didn’t really ever want to hear.  But have they told you not to see him?  That they want you to break it off with him?”

Rose shook her head.  “No.”

“Then the way I see it, anything you do there is a choice.  _Your_ choice.”

“I suppose.  But they aren’t too keen about it, and…” she faltered for a moment, collecting her thoughts, “it almost feels as if I’m being disloyal to them by going out with him.”

Al’s brow furrowed.  “I suppose I can see that, sort of.  But they’re grownups, Rose.  And they know firsthand what happens when people are judged solely on who their parents are.”

“I know,” she sighed.  As appalled as she was about what had happened to her mother, Rose clearly recognized that Scorpius was in no way responsible or accountable for those things.  And it would be entirely unfair of any of them to hold his family’s actions against him.

“But he didn’t tell me, Al.  And I specifically asked him if he knew anything.  That makes me think that he does know everything.”

“Just tell him what you know and ask him about it again,” Al replied with a sigh.  “I find it really hard to believe he does.  But no matter what he does or doesn’t know, he obviously had his reasons for not talking about it with you.”  He paused and shrugged.  “He was probably worried about what you’d think.  And embarrassed, I expect.  I mean, think about it.  It’s bad enough to have everyone know about his grandfather and his great-aunt being Death Eaters, but his dad, too?  Would you want your girlfriend to know something like that if you were him?”

She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at him.  “Well, no, but…I was going to find out sooner or later.  Why lie about it?”

“But he didn’t really lie about it, did he?” Al asked pointedly.  “He just didn’t tell you.”

Rose glared at him.  “It’s the same thing.  And why are you taking his side?”

“I’m not taking his side,” Al huffed, glaring back at her.  “And if this _was_ about sides, I’d be on yours, and you bloody well know it.  But I _am_ trying to give you some perspective by giving you a male point of view.  It’s up to you whether to take it or leave it.”

“Of course, I’ll take it.”  She crossed the room and hugged him, grateful when his arms tightened around her as well, and she kissed him on the cheek.  “Thank you, Al.  It’s just…I’m sorry.  I’m so completely out of sorts and…I can’t keep my thoughts straight today.”

He pulled back and grinned sympathetically, looking as if he was going to say something, but whatever it was, it was cut off by Lily opening the door behind them.  “Oh _A-l-b-i-e_ ,” she teased in a sing-song voice, “Mum said to tell you to come down.  _Your girlfriend is here_.”  

“Shut it, Lily,” he growled as he pulled open the door all the way, mumbling “horrid cow,” as he pushed past her and started down the stairs.

Lily stuck her tongue out at Al’s back before turning back to Rose.  “Hullo, Rose.  Aren’t you excited about getting back?”

“Yeah, sure,” Rose answered, forcing a smile on her face.  

“I’ll bet.  I would be too if I was you, having someone like Scorpius to go back to,” Lily crooned, sighing happily and wearing a lovesick look on her face.  “Oh, your parents just got here, too, and Mum says breakfast is ready so come on downstairs.”

Rose nodded and grabbed her bag from Al’s bed, following Lily out the door and down the stairs.  She paused at the landing for the third floor, gesturing down the corridor to the loo.  “Tell them I’ll be right down.” 

“Okay,” Lily said, continuing down the stairs as Rose slipped into the bathroom.  She looked at herself in the mirror and cast a hangover charm to take care of any residual redness of her eyes.

Al was right about everything, and she knew it.  Hell, she’d decided the night before that she at least owed it to Scorpius to hear him out.  And wasn’t she really only being reactive and even a bit ridiculous by not even reading his letter?  Especially when she’d be seeing him in person in less than two hours?

Rose hopped up on the counter, pulled Scorpius’s letter out of her bag, and began to read.

_Dear Rose,_  

_Are these holidays ever going to end?  But at least we’ve finally bid ‘Farvel’ to Grandfather and Grandmother, and I am writing to you from my own bed.  Now, if only you were here, everything would be perfect.  (You may think I’m kidding, but I’m not!)_  

_Seriously, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.  Thoughts of you have kept me sane this week, I swear.  I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.  (And until then, know that I’m pining away for you.)_  

_But about that…I wanted to let you know that I won’t be on the train.  I have somewhere I have to be late in the afternoon and won’t be back to school until after dinnertime.  Don’t worry, I’ve owled Longbottom and given him the news.  (Yes, I’m prepared to do double patrols for the rest of the year and hope that a certain Gryffindor prefect will take pity on me and decide to tag along).  Father’s cleared it with Pansy for me to Floo into her office, and I’ll come find you straight away.  (Fancy a late-night fly?  A_ _midnight_ _visit to the Prefect’s bathroom?  Think about it, okay?  I’m literally dying here.)_  

_And perhaps I’ll have a surprise for you.  (And now you’re dying, too, aren’t you, albeit of curiosity and not loneliness?  Yes, I’m wicked.  I’ll admit it.)_  

_Twenty hours and counting …_  

_Love,_ _Scorpius_   

Rose carefully folded his letter and placed it back in her knapsack before glancing at her watch.  

_Nine hours and counting…_  

Even with the myriad of conflicting emotions coursing through her, she couldn’t resist the affection that flowed through her heart at his letter and an unwitting smile crept across her lips as she imagined him sitting on his bed, clad only in his green plaid pajama bottoms, his hair hanging in his eyes, and that smirk on his face as he wrote to her.  

_Damn him for being so bloody irresistible_ , she thought, even as her mind continued to remind her that she was still upset with him about not having been forthright with her about his father, not to mention that she was still coping with the knowledge of _the things_ she’d discovered about his family’s dealings with hers and questioning how much he knew of it.  And now there was the additional confusion at why he was being so cryptic about where he was going tomorrow and where the hell he _had to be_ that would keep him from taking the train back. 

These questions and others continued to replay through her mind even as she joined everyone down in the kitchen, dutifully putting on a happy face when she greeted Ellie with a hug, and as she held her own against James, resisting his attempts to goad her into an argument over something insignificant, and as she said heartfelt goodbyes to her parents at the train station, ignoring Dad’s obvious curiosity as to why Scorpius was nowhere to be found, and as Rose then embarked upon the most arduous train ride of her life, listening only half-heartedly to her friends reminiscing about their respective holidays, as the train slowly carried her back to Hogwarts and her inevitable reunion with Scorpius. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**  

“Whoa, love.  Slow down,” Simon warned with a grin, catching Rose from the side as she tripped on the second to the last step leading into the Common Room.  “You’re liable to break your neck at that speed.”

She flashed him a grateful smile, noticing that her jumper had ridden up and Simon’s large hands were holding on rather tightly to her waist.  “I’ve got it now, thanks,” she said, shifting her broomstick to her other hand, pulling her jumper back down, and managing to dislodge his grip on her at the same time.

“What’s your hurry?”  He beckoned to the table just behind her and Rose turned to see Al sitting across from Miriam Bletchley, one of her roommates and Simon’s soon-to-be-girlfriend if Miriam had anything to say about it.  “We were just starting up a game of Exploding Snap,” Simon continued, moving toward the nearest chair.  “Why don’t you join us?”

Rose shook her head with an apologetic smile.  “Thank you, but I can’t.  Dinner’s in less than an hour so I don’t have much time to fit in a fly.  And after being cooped up for nearly the whole week, I’m in desperate need of one.”

“Oh sure,” he agreed as he nodded.  “Want some company?” he asked eagerly.  “I could fetch my broom and come along if you’d like.”

Rose bit her lip, doing everything in her power not to be obvious with her impatience and irritation.  She didn’t want to hurt Simon’s feelings, but she absolutely did not want him, or anyone else, to join her.  She wasn’t being untruthful in her excuse for not wanting to stay inside with them – it _had_ been a long week and her flying opportunities had been all too few, the lone exception being those three invigorating hours at the Burrow the day before – but she primarily needed to clear her head and focus on what she was going to do when Scorpius finally made it back to the castle from wherever he’d got off to that kept him from taking the train back to school.

“You’re lovely,” she said, reaching up to give him a quick one-armed hug, noting that Miriam was watching them very closely, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.  Rose pulled back and caught Al’s eye, thankful for his sympathetic grin as he rose from his chair.  “And thank you for offering, but honestly, I’d rather be alone.  Reconnect with my broom and all,” she added with a silly giggle.  “Perhaps next time.  Alright?”

“Sure.” Simon smiled back, although Rose sensed disappointment in his voice and in his gaze, and she tried to ignore how his eyes followed her movements a bit too carefully as he continued, “I’m going to hold you to it, you know.”

“Good.  I’ll be counting on it.”  Rose hoisted her broom over her shoulder.  “Never too early to get ourselves in shape for next season,” she said animatedly, just loud enough for Miriam to overhear, not wanting there to be any mistaking her intentions where Simon was concerned.

“Spoken like a true Captain,” Al chimed in with a chuckle as he nudged Rose, fixing her with a cocky, almost-James-like smirk.  “A bit confident, aren’t we?”

Simon laughed as he took a seat next to Miriam who also giggled, her attention now firmly elsewhere, and Rose brushed past Al with a toss of her head and a half-huff.  “And what’s wrong with confidence?” she teased, an eyebrow raised challengingly.

“Not a thing,” Al conceded, catching up with her and slinging an arm loosely over her shoulder.  He leaned in as they neared the portrait hole, his tone more serious.  “You okay?”

“Yeah.  I’m fine.”  She shrugged.  “I’ve got to clear my head, you know?”

He tightened his arm around her, and without even contemplating otherwise, she allowed him to pull her against him.  “It’ll all work out, Rosie.”

She turned toward him and nodded, warmth spreading through her at the concern in his eyes.  “I’ll see you at dinner,” she said softly, a wistful smile on her lips as she stepped through the doorway into the corridor.  She quickly navigated down the staircases and out the heavy front doors, waving absently as she passed Miranda Mandelbaum and Liam Donovan on their way in from the greenhouses she was guessing from their disheveled appearances and the dirt Liam was brushing from the back of Miranda’s robes.

Rose mounted her broom and glided into the air, letting out a deeply contented sigh as she ascended higher and higher into the air.  She flew over the Whomping Willow towards the Forbidden Forest, skirting over the trees at its perimeter, but not going any farther over it as she headed around to the lake.  She’d heard enough stories in her lifetime about the things living in there from her family, the faculty, and other students to actually heed Headmistress Vector’s warnings concerning the Forest and its out-of-bound status.

She traveled over the edge of the lake, facing the Quidditch Pitch as she rounded the castle and began a second go-round.  But as she passed by the Astronomy Tower, Rose was suddenly hit with a cold chill as the significance of that location washed over her.  Almost as if being drawn in by some unseen force, she turned sharply and flew over to it, shivering as she landed and looked around slowly – really _saw_ it for the first time – fully contemplating the things that had occurred there all those years before.

It wasn’t as if she’d never stepped foot on the Tower.  She’d been there loads of times for countless Astronomy classes and her practical examination during O.W.L.S., not to mention a private rendezvous or two with Scorpius in the previous weeks.  And yet, all those times she’d gone up there and the several times that she’d even looked over the side, down onto the grounds, and thought about how far it was, Rose was ashamed to admit that not once had it even crossed her mind that it was from here, from this very Tower, that Albus Dumbledore – her parents’ headmaster, her Uncle Harry’s mentor, her Al’s namesake – had fallen.

She glanced around, wondering where exactly it had all happened, trying to picture the events as they’d occurred.  Her mind drifted back to what Professor Gaspar had taught them in History of Magic – that Severus Snape had killed Dumbledore, who’d then fallen over the side of the Tower to the ground below – and Professor Gaspar’s belief that it was that action which had launched the second Blood War in earnest.  And now she knew even more, things that were only known by those directly involved and weren’t public knowledge – that Scorpius’s dad had been there, had been ordered by Voldemort himself to murder Dumbledore, had hurt people Rose loved in his attempts to follow through, and had succeeded in letting Death Eaters into Hogwarts.  

She dug her hands into the sleeves of her dad’s old jumper and hugged herself, suddenly chilled to the core and not only from the now biting wind whipping around the Tower.  Her gaze drifted to the sky as she leaned against the wall and looked over the turret; the sun was setting, casting an alternating orange and purple glow over the landscape.

It was getting close to dinnertime and Rose knew that she should be heading to the Great Hall, but she really wasn’t in the mood to go down and make pleasant conversation and try not to stare over at the Slytherin table, searching for Scorpius even though he wasn’t expected until sometime later.  

And although she was rather anxious about the conversation she knew was forthcoming, she really wanted to see him.  No matter that she was still reeling from the revelations about the war and was hurt and somewhat angry about the secrets that everyone, it seemed, had been keeping from her, Rose was unable to deny the fact that she had missed him desperately.  And over the course of the terribly long train ride that afternoon, she’d carefully weighed everything in her mind over and over again, coming to the conclusion that while he _must have known_ about his dad having been a Death Eater, he _couldn’t have known_ all of those intimate details about the war; that he, like Rose, would be shocked when he found out.

_Come off it, Rose_ , she scolded herself, _you **know** him_.  In fact, she’d known him for nearly six years, and it was completely out of character for him to have been privy to that kind of horrific information and yet behave as if he knew nothing of it, as if it had never happened, and went against everything that she loved about him.

As she’d told her mum emphatically just hours ago, Scorpius Malfoy was _nothing_ like how her parents had described his father and his grandfather.  And there was simply no possible way that he’d so callously ignore that type of information and make a fool of her and the rest of her family members who called him a friend.

No, she had to be an adult about this.  After all, she’d just argued to her parents that she was of age.  And what was it her dad had said, that there was more to being of age than just turning seventeen?  He was right, of course, and this was the perfect opportunity for Rose to prove it.  Whereas before, she might have overreacted and come right out and accused Scorpius of knowing everything, or worse, just ditched him like she’d done with Simon last year when things became uncomfortable, now she needed to take Al’s advice and be less reactive.  

_“Why do you have to do anything or react in any way?   The way I see it, anything you do there is a choice.  Your choice.”_  

She knew he was right.  Naturally, Al had told her exactly what she’d needed to hear, even if it wasn’t necessarily what she _wanted_ to hear.  Not that she was surprised by that – she’d learned long ago that when she needed a swift kick in the arse, no one could set her straight better than Al Potter.

She sighed heavily, jumping when a pair of hands slid over her eyes, a warm body pressed against her back, and a deep voice sounded in her ear.

“Guess who,” he whispered, and she felt her knees go weak as his lips touched her neck.

“Hmm, I wonder,” she replied softly, turning to face Scorpius, her heart pounding only slightly from being startled but mostly from seeing him again.

She had barely turned when his lips found hers and, despite her questions and uncertainties, she melted into him, her arms unconsciously tightening around his waist as his hands clutched her face and he kissed her greedily.

“Merlin, Rose,” he murmured when they broke apart, his forehead against hers, “I’ve missed you more than I ever thought possible.”

A shiver ran through her at the intensity of his gaze and the emotion in his voice and the feel of his fingers caressing her cheek.  She breathed in deeply, caught up in his scent, and his lips pressed against hers once again, his tongue swirling with hers as his hands slid into her hair before moving down her arms and pulling her even tighter against his body.

_God_ , she loved him.  

Even as she felt herself getting sucked into the moment by his lips and his hands and his body reeling her in, she was conducting a heated inner-dialogue.  Yes, he’d obviously kept things from her, and yes, the knowledge of how his family had treated hers in the past was ever-present, and yes, the fact that he’d just spent a week at the place where her mum had been tortured made her stomach churn and her heart ache.  But she’d missed him immensely, and her anger toward him was melting.  She was unable to deny what she felt for him, nor did she really want to; the events of the past twelve hours could not alter the feelings that Rose had developed for him over the past ten weeks – hell, what she’d come to feel for him over the past six years, she reminded herself, because not only was Scorpius her boyfriend, he was and had been a true friend to her all that time.

And how she broached the subject with him would determine everything.

In the end, Rose realized that there really wasn’t much of a choice unless she truly wanted to be miserable, and her anger abated, her deep feelings for him winning out.  And once she accepted that was simply how it _had to be_ , she began to kiss Scorpius almost as if her life depended upon it, her hands clutching his face as she pulled him closer almost subconsciously.  His arms tightened around her as his hands continued trailing down her back, and somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she wondered if her aggression triggered something in him when she felt his fingers slide under the hem of her jumper.

“Scorpius –” she gasped in warning, breaking their kiss, only to have him cut her off by kissing her again, his tongue tangling with hers, and she trembled as his hands moved up her ribcage and his thumbs brushed over her breasts.

_Stop it!_ she thought blindly, even as she arched into his touch, her body willing him to keep going, even as her mind continued to scream at her, _You’re letting this get out of control.  You have things to work out first._  

“Wait,” she managed, tearing her mouth from his once more, this time stepping backwards and forcing a bit of space between their lips.  Although his hands remained on her ribcage, his fingers ceased their movements, and his leg pressed between hers.

Scorpius was breathing heavily, his hair hanging into his eyes, and Rose resisted the urge to brush it back away from his face, afraid that if she was to touch him so intimately, they would wind up kissing again, and she questioned her ability to stop it the next time.  Almost as if reading her mind, he reached out and brushed a lock of her hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.  She shivered again, both from the wind whipping around them and from his touch, and forced herself to turn around and look out over the grounds once more.  She felt Scorpius move in behind her; his left hand came to rest atop hers on the top of the rampart and his right hand slid around her waist, effectively pinning her against the wall.

“C’mon, love,” he murmured against her neck, teasing evident in his voice.  “I know it’s still light out, but it’s dinnertime.  No one will bother us up here for at least an hour.”  His hand wandered back underneath the front of her jumper, moving dangerously close to the underwire of her bra.

“You’re mad if you think I’ll fall for that line,” she replied, her tone matching his as she pushed his hand back down to her waist. 

“Surely you don’t blame me for trying.”  He pressed his body tightly against hers.  “It’s been a grueling week.”

_You have no idea_ , Rose thought.  Aloud, however, she attempted to sound nonchalant as she asked, “Oh?  How so?”

“How so?” he repeated, caressing her hand sensuously.  “I assume you read my letters.”

She nodded.  “Of course.”

“Then do you really have to ask?  I believe I was perfectly clear that I couldn’t wait for the break to end or to get back to school.”

“I might’ve gathered something of the sort,” she teased.  

He pressed a kiss against her temple.  “Always knew you were bright.”

Rose felt his hand leave her waist and brush the hair away from her neck as his mouth moved down her jaw.  

“And beautiful.”  

His other hand moved to cup her cheek and he turned her head towards his, and their eyes met in an intensely passionate gaze.  

“I love you, you know,” he finished before firmly pressing his lips against hers and drawing her into another fervent kiss.

“I love you, too,” she whispered when they broke apart, leaning into his hand as it stroked her cheek tenderly.  “And I missed you terribly.”

He chuckled, flashing her that smirk that she found irresistible.  “Can’t compare to how much I missed you.”

Rose raised an eyebrow.  “You don’t say?” she asked playfully.  “Well, go on then and tell me.”

“Shall I give you a list of all the ways in which I thought of you?  Or perhaps you’d like to hear about all the things I would’ve rather been doing with you than being forced to endure six days with my grandparents?” he murmured seductively into her ear.

She stiffened slightly at the mention of his grandparents, surmising that perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to segue into everything, but Scorpius didn’t give her a chance to voice her unease as he continued, “Although I’d much prefer _showing_ you those things,” and wrapped both arms tightly around her waist.

“I know you didn’t enjoy yourself,” she replied, attempting to sound nonchalant and not as if the thought of spending one second, much less six days anywhere near Lucius Malfoy or that godforsaken manor of his didn’t make her almost physically ill.

“I hate being there.  Always have,” he declared, his voice sounding almost distant, and she turned toward him as he ran a hand through his hair and stared out over the rampart.  

“Yeah?” she asked, agreeing mentally that she couldn’t think of a worse punishment herself.

“They’re just so different.  They’re so antiquated in their beliefs and so…judgmental, I suppose,” he explained.  “I don’t really feel as if I have anything at all in common with them.”  He took a deep breath, and it looked to Rose as if he shuddered slightly.  “And there’s something about that place that…I don’t know, it’s always felt…ominous, perhaps.”  He looked back at her and leaned his head back against hers.  “Besides, it’s so ornate and pretentious; nothing at all like my house.  Mother quite despises it, and even Father seems to be ill-at-ease when we’re there.  He looked almost as relieved as we were to be home last night.  No, it was not at all how I would have chosen to spend my break.  Or who I would’ve chosen to spend it with either.”

Rose nodded, unable to speak as thoughts of what her mum had endured in that house raced into her mind and mingled with her theories as to what his dad had hoped to accomplish by subjecting him to his grandparents for the week.  After a few moments, Scorpius kissed her temple, apparently not phased that she hadn’t responded.  “And that reminds me…we’ll have to figure out something for the summer, because I don’t think I can endure being apart from you for so long ever again.”

She turned in his arms, resting her back against the wall.  “Well, you already know I’ll be in London for the summer,” she replied quietly, allowing their conversation to once again steer away from the inevitable.  “During the days anyway.”

“You will?” he asked, a surprised look on his face.  “Have I missed something?”

Rose looked at him oddly.  “I’ll be working at the shop all summer.  Don’t you remember?”

Scorpius nodded with a grin.  “That’s right,” he replied in mock realization.  “How could I forget that you’d be so close?”

“And what are _your_ plans for summer?” Rose asked, running her fingers absentmindedly over his collar.

He shrugged his shoulders, moving his hands down to her hips.  “I expect I’ll be spending my days in Diagon Alley.”

“Oh, and is that all?” she asked in a quiet, teasing voice, very much aware that his hands were now gripping her bum.  “Nothing else?”

“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do,” he muttered, pulling her toward him again and pulling her lower lip between his before snickering.  “Well, I can think of things I’d _rather_ do, but since they involve you as well, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind.”

“Stop it,” she said, swatting his shoulder.  “I’m being serious.”

“What?” he said, his voice dripping with mock innocence.  “I’m entirely serious.”  He chuckled at her raised eyebrow, a sly smile crossing his lips.  “Actually, I _do_ have some rather exciting plans, if you must know.”

“You do?  And what would they be?”

“Oh no,” he said teasingly, shaking his head.  “It’s a surprise.”

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him.  He wasn’t going to use that smirk to distract her this time.  “That’s not fair.  You know I hate surprises.  Come on, tell me what it is.”

“No.  But you’ll love me for it, I assure you.”

She huffed impatiently, not at all finding his satisfied smirk amusing.  “I already love you, you idiot.  Now tell me.”

He shook his head.  “Sorry, but I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?” she pressed.

“Either.  Both.  Take your pick.”

“And does this surprise of yours have anything to do with your absence from the train today?”

“Perhaps,” he said smugly.

Rose shrugged.  “Fine.  I don’t care about your silly surprise anyway.”

“Sure you don’t,” Scorpius snickered.  “But you forget that I know you and I am well aware just how badly this is torturing you.”

The witty retort that she was formulating died on her tongue at his choice of words, and her breath caught in her throat as her mind raced back to her nightmare of the night before and the look on her mum’s face as her dad described how it had felt to know that was what they were doing to her and live with the reality that he was helpless to stop it.

She closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath.  When she opened them, Scorpius was watching her carefully, concern etched on his face.  “Rose?” he asked tentatively.  “What is it?  You look like you’ve just been struck.”

“I – uh…” she stammered, biting her lip nervously and gazing up at him uncertainly.  “What you said…it’s just…”  She stopped, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say and how she needed to say it.

“What?  What was it I said?”

The confusion and obvious alarm in his voice surprised her, and his reaction made it easier for her to continue.  “Last night,” she said softly, her eyes fixed upon his, “I…my parents told me some of the things…about what they…about stuff that happened to them during the War.”

His eyes widened and a highly apprehensive look graced his features.  He brushed several curls behind her ear then crushed her to him in a tight embrace.  “So I gather it was pretty awful then?” he asked against her temple.

“Hmm hmm,” she agreed, pulling back to look him in the eye.  “Really awful.”

Scorpius nodded sympathetically, his hands rubbing her lower back.  “I can’t imagine what they must’ve gone through, going off with your uncle and fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts.  What happened?”

“They were captured,” she whispered, unable to keep the anguish from creeping into her voice or the tears from welling up in her eyes.  She looked back over her shoulder at the last rays of sunlight fading and took a deep breath before turning back to face him.  “Mum, Dad, and Uncle Harry…and they were turned over to a group of Death Eaters.  And my mum…they _Crucio_ ’ed her and…they imprisoned my dad and Uncle Harry and made them…my dad was forced to listen as they did it and he couldn’t do anything to help her.”

“Merlin,” he gasped in shock, and any lingering doubts that Rose might have harbored as to whether he’d known anything about those events or his family’s involvement in them evaporated.  “I don’t know what to…I’m so sorry.  That must’ve been…”  He shook his head and sighed deeply, his arms tightening around her and pulling her against him again.  “Honestly, I can’t even think about how dreadful that must’ve been for them.  And for you to hear about.”  He pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek before loosening his grip on her enough that she could once again lean against the wall and look at him.  He sighed, a mixture of sorrow and anger.  “It’s just unthinkable.  There’s no excuse for using that curse.  Ever.  I don’t care if there’s a war or not.”

She nodded and sniffed, holding back not only the tears threatening to flow down her cheeks but the rest of the revelations holding steady on her tongue.  “Yeah, the reason why makes it all the more awful,” she said flatly.

“I suppose it was…you said they were,” she noticed he flinched as he continued, “Death Eaters.  Was it because of her blood status?” he asked tentatively, his voice dropping.  “Because she –”

“Yes,” Rose said furiously, swiping angrily at the tears now dripping down her face, “they wanted her dead, all because she was a ‘filthy little Mudblood’.”

“I hope to hell that whoever did it is rotting in Azkaban or worse.”

She looked down at her feet.  “The person who did it is dead.  Was killed during the Battle of Hogwarts.”

“Good,” he replied ardently.  “Anyone who would hurt someone over something so…so bloody pointless…deserves whatever they get.”

Rose shuddered and fully disentangled herself from his embrace, ignoring his obviously perplexed expression.  She took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and steady herself, only vaguely aware when she began rubbing her hands up and down over the front of her thighs to stop her palms from sweating.  

“Well, you see…that’s the thing,” she began, summoning every ounce of self-restraint she had not to weep uncontrollably.  She looked at him pointedly, willing him to understand what she meant so that she wouldn’t actually have to say the words.  “The person who did it…it was Bellatrix Lestrange.”

Scorpius quirked an eyebrow, disgust evident on his face.  “As I said, she got what she deserved.”

“But…there’s more to it,” Rose said, dread and resentment washing over her.  “Reasons for the animosity –”

“What else –” he stopped suddenly, comprehension evident in his expression, and a look of disbelief crossed over his face as he stared at her in obvious frustration.  “Oh, I see.  Isn’t that wonderful?” he said mockingly.  “So that’s it, is it?  The perfect excuse for your parents to hate me, no matter that she was a woman with whom I share no connection other than the unfortunate fact that she and my grandmother were sisters.”  

“They don’t hate _you_ ,” she remarked quietly, biting her lip again, this time to keep her indignation, which was being fueled by his sarcasm, in check.

“No, they just hate all Malfoys in general, right?  Same as my family hates yours for no apparent reason.”  He rolled his eyes, but not before she noted the quiet desperation in them.  “We’re all lumped into one unit, no matter whether we subscribe to the same old bullshit.  Although I expect Father’s _Auntie Bella_ is reason enough to hate us all, right?”

Rose narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.  “No,” she retorted, her voice dripping with contempt, “if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because your father and your grandparents stood by and watched his _Auntie Bella_ repeatedly use the _Cruciatus_ on my mum in the middle of your grandparents’ drawing room.”

“T-that’s not possible,” he stammered, and she caught a glimpse of extreme shock on his face as he was turning away from her.  “They couldn’t…Father wouldn’t…he isn’t capable of –”

“Of course it is,” she interrupted, wondering how he could even suggest otherwise.  “And why wouldn’t he be capable?  I mean, he _was_ a Death Eater after all.”

Scorpius spun around and glared at her.  “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” she responded, holding his gaze with one of her own.  “Is it true?”

“I can’t believe this!”  He shook his head in extreme disappointment.  “He was right…” Scorpius muttered almost to himself.  “I never expected he’d be right.”

“Who’d be right about what?” she asked impatiently.  “What the devil are you talking about?”

“Grandfather,” he replied with a disgusted snort.  “He told me they’d tell you anything to turn you against me.  And they have, haven’t they?”

“Who?  My parents?  They did nothing of the sort!” she insisted.  “They didn’t bring any of this up, I did.  They simply answered the questions I asked them.”

“And I suppose they were all too eager to tell you all about it, weren’t they?”

“No,” she said, her voice laced with a mixture of sorrow and sarcasm.

Scorpius rolled his eyes.  “Yeah, I’ll bet.  I’m sure they were just waiting for the right opportunity –”

“Oh yes!  You’re right!” Rose fumed.  “That’s exactly what they wanted.  To sit me down and explain to me how people closely related to my boyfriend tried to murder them.  I’m sure they were just dying for that opportunity.”  

“And during their explanations, I don’t suppose they told you how your uncle nearly killed my father, did they?”

Rose stared at him contemptuously.  “Now you’re simply _trying_ to be hurtful.  Uncle Harry would never do anything of the sort, and I know for a fact that he and my dad saved your dad’s life twice during the Battle of Hogwarts!”

“Right.  So you’re saying that the scar down the middle of Father’s chest _wasn’t_ put there by your uncle using a dark spell?” he retorted.  “Why is it so easy for you to believe that my father is capable of murder but not ‘the great Harry Potter’ or anyone related to you?  Wasn’t it your grandmother who fought against Bellatrix Lestrange, and even though she deserved it –”

“You can’t possibly be serious!” she exclaimed disbelievingly.  “You can’t equate what Gran did with what the Death Eaters did.  She was defending herself and her family when she killed that evil bitch, and she _never_ used one of the Unforgiveables.  The Death Eaters _hurt_ people.  They killed people solely for not having enough magical blood to suit their tastes.”

“Yeah, well –” he began, but she cut him off, taking a step toward him, relentlessly refusing to look away.  “Is it true?” she repeated pointedly.

His eyes held firm with hers.  “Yes it’s true.”

“Then you lied to me,” she stated emphatically, her heart tearing in two at his admission.  “You told me you had no idea why they all hated each other, but you knew all along.”

“You’ve gone bloody mental!” he said, a horrified look on his face.  “I knew nothing about what happened with your parents!”

“No, I don’t mean that,” she huffed.  “I’m talking about your dad wearing that fucking Mark on his arm.”

“I never lied to you, Rose.”

“That’s an awfully bold statement, don’t you think, in light of what you’ve just admitted?”

He clenched his jaw and repeated, “I _never_ lied to you, Rose.”  

“You did,” she insisted.  “You never told me, and it’s the same thing.”

“Not telling you _is not_ the same as lying.”

“It’s close enough.”  She looked away finally and wiped again at the tears on her cheeks.

“No, it isn’t,” he said forcefully.  “But you’re right about one thing – I didn’t tell you, and I didn’t want you to know.”

“And why not?” she demanded.  

“Why not?  Damn it, Rose!  Do you think that’s something I really want to share with people?  To admit to my girlfriend?  Although I suppose you think I’m proud of it, don’t you?  Just another in the long line of elitist Malfoys, right?”  He shook his head angrily.  “You know, for someone whose family has the reputation for being so generous when it comes to forgiveness and equal treatment, you’re all awfully quick to judge.  So much for giving a fellow a fair opportunity.  And despite what you all may believe, being a Weasley doesn’t make you better than being a Malfoy.”  He leaned against the rampart and stared out toward the Quidditch pitch.

Rose glared at his back in shock.  “I don’t think I’m better than you, and I’m not judging you or anyone else, and neither are my parents.”  She couldn’t believe that he’d think such a thing about her, much less say it to her.  “You know, you don’t even know me at all, do you?” she cried.  “I thought that I meant something to you.  That you were as serious about me as I am about you.”  She lowered her voice and muttered, “I thought that you wanted something more from this…more from me…than someone to share a few good shags with.”

Scorpius turned abruptly and faced her, looking as if she’d just slapped him, and Rose regretted her words almost immediately but her pride refused to let him see how badly. 

“Are you barking mad?” he seethed, backing her up against the wall and placing his hands on either side of her, caging her in.  “Can you look me in the eye and honestly accuse me of just trying to get a leg over?”  

She didn’t respond but held his gaze as he leaned in, glowering at her.  “ _I fucking love you_.  And if telling you wasn’t enough, as you’ll recall from my letters, I’ve just spent the past week convincing ‘my elitist, pureblood family’ that we _are_ serious about each other.  Do you think I’d go through all that for someone I only thought of as a ‘good shag’?”

Their faces were nearly touching and his eyes bored into hers fiercely. “No,” Rose conceded only somewhat reluctantly before closing her eyes.  She could feel herself on the verge of breaking down and desperately wanted to get out of there before either of them said anything more.  She took a deep breath and opened them.  “You know what?” she said as she pushed against his chest.  “This is getting us nowhere.”  She grabbed her broom and started for the doorway leading back into the castle.  

“You can’t possibly leave now,” he said in disbelief, grabbing her forearm.  “You can’t run away from this.  I won’t let you.”

“I’m _not_ running away,” she replied through gritted teeth, wrenching her arm away.

“Of course you are,” he scoffed.  “What else would you call it?”

“Don’t you get it - _they tried to kill my mum_!”  She began crying in earnest, no longer caring.

Scorpius’s face blanched.  “Of course I get it.”

“Then you should understand why I just can’t –” she shook her head and looked away.  “I just can’t,” she whispered.  

She brushed past him and through the door, slamming it shut behind her.  The echo followed as she stormed down the spiral staircase, stopping halfway to catch her breath.  She leaned back against the wall, sobbing so hard she began to hiccup, and slid to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in her hands as she wept, trying to fathom what the hell had just happened and questioning how everything had, within less than twenty-four hours, gone from brilliant to horribly wrong, and wondering if her heart would _ever_ stop breaking.

This was _not_ _at all_ what she wanted.

It was exactly as she’d feared and everything she’d wanted to avoid.  How had it digressed to the point that they were insulting not only each other’s families but each other?  And in such a cruel manner?

As hateful as Scorpius had been, she’d been just as bad, if not worse.  She couldn’t believe that she’d actually said some of those things to him, lashed out at him so viciously without even realizing what she was spilling out of her mouth until it was too late.

She hadn’t meant to fight with him.  She didn’t _want_ to fight with him.  She wanted them to face everything together.

It was true that he hadn’t told her about his dad, and although she disagreed with him for not telling her, Rose could understand his reasons, especially when Al had said almost the same thing to her that morning.  And there was no question in her mind that he hadn’t known anything about what her parents had gone through at his grandparents’ house.  Not only was she sure of it, she was immensely relieved, because if he had known, she was pretty sure that she might never have been able to forgive him for keeping it from her.

As much as she might despise what the Malfoys had represented in the past, she knew that Scorpius was different.  He’d proven it time and time again, and not only in how he treated her, but others as well.  And throughout her life, her parents had always reiterated that everyone deserved a fair chance and it was unfair to judge prematurely.  

How could she not offer Scorpius – who she truly loved – the same consideration?  

Rose slid back up the wall and headed back up to the Tower, only to meet Scorpius descending the stairs as she ascended them.

“Scorpius –”

“Rose –”

They stood facing each other for a moment, neither of them moving.  She was sure she saw tears welled up in his eyes, which were red-rimmed.  After just a moment, he whispered, “You first.”

“I-I’m sorry,” she began, looking up at him, tears still flowing down her face.  “That got…” she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she reopened them, “it was…entirely out of hand…wasn’t at all what I intended –”

“I’m sorry, too.  You’re upset and…I…we both said things we really didn’t mean.”  He looked at her pleadingly.  “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Father.”

“You should have.”  She swallowed and wiped tears from her cheeks.

He shrugged and looked down at his feet, grinding the toe of his trainers against the step.  “I didn’t want you to know.”

“You have to tell me things, even when they’re unpleasant.  You have to trust me.”

“I do trust you.  I do,” he insisted.  “I’m shocked by what happened to your mum, and frankly, I’m ashamed to even be related to the cold-hearted bitch who did it.  I also know what role my grandparents played in the War…just like I’m well aware of Grandfather’s position and his associations with Voldemort.  And that he spent time in Azkaban and there are people who still believe he should be back there.”  He looked away for a brief moment before turning back to her with an impassioned gaze.  “I’m not proud of my family’s past, but they _are_ my family.  And despite what you all may think, my father _has_ changed.  Whatever he did when they were all in school together or when he was forced into doing Voldemort’s bidding…well, that _is_ _not_ the man I know.”

He paused again, taking a deep breath before continuing, almost hesitantly, “Both of our families are biased.  But there are two sides to every story, this one included.”  He took a deep breath and blinked; his eyes were clouded with emotion.  “I don’t suppose they told you that Grandmother risked her life for your Uncle Harry, did they?”

“Actually, they did,” she answered softly.  “Mum said that she lied to Voldemort so that she could get back to the castle and find your dad.”  She ached to reach out to him, but something held her back.  “That was a pretty brave thing for her to do.”

“Yeah,”  Scorpius nodded, looking away from her.  “They’re…I don’t get how they can still believe that if someone isn’t a pureblood, they’re lacking.  And Grandfather can be such an arse.  I hate it when I have to listen to him touting that blood purity nonsense.  But they do care about their family.  That much is certain.”  His gaze returned to hers.  “I can’t change who they are … or what’s happened in the past.”  He reached out almost timidly, brushing a few curls behind her ear, his fingers lingering.  “We are not our parents, Rose.  We aren’t guilty of their sins, just like we aren’t deserving of their glories.  Neither of us is responsible for what people in our families have done in the past, especially when we want to do things differently.”  

“I know that,” she replied fervently.  “Of course we’re not.  And that’s what I want, too.  I want to start fresh.  I want to make things better.”  She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes at the feel of his fingertips now wiping a tear from her chin with his thumb.  “I– I really do love you,” she replied softly, taking a deep breath and lifting her eyes to his, “and I really want to try and work through this.  I’d like to think that we can put tonight behind us and move forward…do you think we can do that?  After everything we’ve found out, not to mention all those things we said–”

“You know I didn’t mean it…most of what I said,” he said desperately. 

“I know you didn’t.  I didn’t either.”  She hesitated, biting her lip.  Even if they hadn’t meant the awful things they’d said to each other, they’d said them nevertheless.

“And we’re both sorry,” Scorpius insisted.  He took a deep breath and blinked; his eyes were clouded with pain and anger and he wiped angrily at a tear that escaped and came to rest on his cheekbone.  “Don’t you know that if I could take it all back, I would.” 

Rose nodded, her voice caught in her throat as more tears slid down her face.  “Me too,” she whispered.  Scorpius tentatively pulled her to him, and Rose clutched his collar, burying her head into his neck and crying onto his shirt. 

His arms tightened around her.  “We’ll work it out.  We have to,” he said into her hair.

She wasn’t sure how long they stood there on there steps, clinging to each other, but he didn’t release her from his embrace until she’d stopped crying, and even then, he seemed reluctant to do so.

Rose took several deep, calming breaths as Scorpius reached out to her and gently wiped a tear from her chin with his thumb.

“Are you okay?”

“I will be.  But now that I know, I can’t forget everything that happened to my mum and dad.” 

“No,” he agreed as his left hand touched her right, interlacing his fingers loosely with hers, “wouldn’t expect you to.”

“And I’ll never go there with you – to your grandparents’ house.  I just couldn’t –”

He shook his head vehemently.  “God no.  I’d never ask you to.”

“And no more secrets,” she continued.  “You have to trust me, trust that I’m more than able to make up my own mind about things, no matter what anyone else says or thinks about them.”

Scorpius hesitated then nodded.  “Fair enough.  But the same goes for you.”

“I know it does.”

His fingers lifted her chin, and their eyes met once more.  “I swear to you, Rose, whatever I have to do, I’ll prove that I’m worthy of you.  That we’re worthy of each other.  I’ll make them all see it.”

“Yes,” she breathed, holding his gaze and nodding just as their lips met again in a gentle but meaningful kiss that embodied so many emotions – ranging from love to disappointment to fear to hope – leaving Rose with the desire to prove that wanting something badly was enough to make it happen. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**  

“And that leads me to my final point before we get started on today’s lesson...”  

 Rose groaned inwardly as she stopped short just outside the door to the Potions classroom and leaned against the wall, her eyes clamped tightly shut, a grimace on her face.  Of course, she’d known she’d be late; it would have been impossible to make it from her dormitory to the dungeons in less than ten minutes, no matter how fast she was able to maneuver down the staircases.  But of all classes to be tardy for, how could she allow it to be this one?  It was as if she was just begging to lose House points and be shamelessly chastised in front of everyone. 

_Oh bloody fucking hell_ , she mused, shaking her head at herself irritably.  This was just a _perfect_ continuation of what was turning out to be a positively dreadful week.  _And with Zabini, I’m just making it all too easy. Like offering sickles to a niffler._   

Not for the first time, Rose cursed having to attend Potions every day of the week and seriously questioned Headmistress Vector’s sanity, wondering what amount and quotient of mead she’d been drinking when she scheduled the sixth year potions classes not only as their final class of the day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but as the first class on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well.  Unquestionably, all of the affected sixth years were biding their time until seventh year, when their schedules wouldn’t require beginning or ending any day with Potions and Pansy Zabini. 

She peeked into the room, taking note of Al, Ellie, and Simon seated at their table in the back, just inside the door, her seat on Al’s left side clearly empty, before her eyes drifted instinctively to the front of the classroom and the back of Scorpius’s head resting against his fist as he took notes.

_How could I not have noticed how long his hair has grown?_ she mused, gazing longingly at the flip of blond hair over the back of his collar.

But seeing as the last time that they’d been completely alone was the night of their awful fight on the Astronomy Tower, it wasn’t any wonder that she hadn’t noticed it then or had another opportunity to make that discovery.

And although they’d been back for nearly a week, things were…different.  

They weren’t fighting.  Thankfully, they hadn’t argued once since that first night back, when she’d told him what she’d learned from her parents, and they’d both lost their tempers and said all those things that…well, that she’d really rather just forget.  But it was almost as bad, in her opinion, because since returning from break, the usual sardonic banter and easiness between them was absent, only to be replaced by a false cordiality and this horrible cautiousness that seemed somewhat forced and not at all natural.

Added to it was the _fact_ that they hadn’t been alone together once all week.  Not that either of them had actually voiced it, but it seemed almost as if they were afraid to be alone, afraid of what might happen between them if they were.  Whether it was conscious or subconscious on either one’s part, each of them had ensured that they were _chaperoned_ the entire week, either by Al or by Rory or by some group including one or both of them.  So not only were things awkward between them, and they were overcompensating by being overly polite with one another, but they’d barely touched one other all week aside from a gentle brush here and a quick peck there.  

No, things between them were the absolute farthest from normal that they could be, and it was starting to well and truly piss Rose off because she wanted _him_ , the real him – snide and smooth and loving and passionate – and not the pale imitation she’d been enduring this week.

She knew precisely why they were resistant, why they’d been hesitant, why they’d been uneasy about being alone.  The discovery of what occurred in the past with her parents had overwhelmed and consumed Rose for days, and although she _knew_ it wasn’t fair to blame him and she certainly wasn’t holding Scorpius responsible for his family’s past, she’d had a hard time letting go of the hurt and anger and disgust she’d felt from it all nevertheless.

But as the days went by, and she fell into her regular routine of school and became caught up in the happenings of her friends, Rose thought less and less about the things her parents had told her.  At first, this realization startled her and she felt almost guilty about not keeping it close, about not remembering out of respect for her mum and dad, so much so that she wrote to her mum and expressed her concerns, spilling out her conflicted thoughts onto nearly five pages of parchment, finally admitting her fears that by moving forward and letting go, she was being disloyal to them – to her parents, her family – and the memory of what they’d all endured.

Her mother had responded that same day, her own reply consisting of just under four pages, and at first, Rose was terrified to open it, afraid of what it might say, afraid of what they might think of her, afraid that they would think she was choosing Scorpius over them when she really couldn’t bare to choose at all.  But when she did finally read it, she realized that her fears were unfounded and the tears flowed down her cheeks at her mum’s words of support and encouragement, of how Rose needed to let it go and not dwell upon the past – especially a past that wasn’t even _hers_ – so that she could move forward in her life, whether it included Scorpius Malfoy or not.  And with those words, her mum not only encouraged her but had, more importantly, provided Rose with her much sought-after blessing to do just that.

She knew that, naturally, her mum was right, and as she almost always did, Rose took her advice to heart.  And she found that she really was ready to put their families’ past behind them; she only hoped that Scorpius was ready as well.

Of course, _he_ was the reason she was late this morning.  She’d been dreaming of him and completely ignored her alarm.  Envisioned being locked inside a dark broom cupboard, wedged between the hard, cold wall and his hard, warm body.  Dreamt of his hands in her hair and on her face and running up and down her sides and thighs, removing her clothes, touching her everywhere, of her fingernails digging into his arms, of touching him everywhere…

_No, stop it_ , Rose admonished herself, wrenching herself away from thoughts of Scorpius.  _This is not the time to be thinking about him and especially not about that.  Right now, my objective is getting inside and praying that Zabini didn’t notice that I wasn’t there before._   She focused her attention on her professor, who had turned and was walking down the center aisle toward the front of the classroom while she continued, “I’ve finished scoring your potions, and I will be posting your marks before tomorrow afternoon’s class.  I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were, in large part, rather well done.”   

Rose took a deep breath and used Zabini’s turned back as the perfect opportunity to quickly slip inside the room and into her seat next to Al at the their table in the last row, a fleeting thought of gratitude that they’d always preferred sitting near the back in their classes.  She could feel Al watching her, along with Ellie and Simon from his other side, as she pulled her Potions book, parchment, and a quill from her bag as quietly and discretely as possible, hoping but not really believing that she would just blend in and perhaps Zabini wouldn’t notice her late arrival.

“Of course, the quality of some,” Zabini turned when she reached her desk, looking pointedly at Rose who reluctantly met her professor’s gaze, mentally preparing herself for what was obviously coming next, “far exceeded that of others.  Ah, Miss Weasley.  How nice of you to join us.  Do you suppose that ten points from Gryffindor might provide you with the proper incentive to be on time for my class for the remainder of the term?”  

Rose bit her lip, her face burning as she nodded slightly.  No, she hadn’t _really_ expected to just slip into class unnoticed.  In fact, she’d fully expected to be singled out by Zabini for being late – and if she was being entirely honest with herself, and if it was any of the other teachers, she would agree with her professor for doing so – but being prepared for it didn’t alleviate the embarrassment of living through it as it was actually happening.

Zabini held her gaze for a moment longer before turning toward the board.  With a wave of her wand, two nearly identical lists of ingredients appeared as she continued, “Now, if you have completed your reading assignment for this morning’s class, you are capable of naming the potions which are concocted from the sets of elements listed here.”  She turned back and seemed to be focusing only upon Rose.  “Miss Weasley, I trust that although you cannot seem to make it on time, you are at least prepared for my class today.  Please enlighten anyone who is not by naming them.”

Rose glanced at the lists on the board before dutifully answering, “Amortentia and Stygeotentia,” her eyes once again fixed upon her professor.  

Zabini nodded.  “And what is the particular significance of these two disparate potions?”

“Although comprised of the same primary ingredients, Amortentia is the strongest love potion and Stygeotentia is the strongest hate potion capable of being brewed.”

“And do they actually produce those emotions or simply simulations thereof?”

Rose shook her head, feeling every eye upon her, including what she thought were the most gorgeous blue eyes she’d ever seen, but refusing to break Zabini’s gaze.  “No potion is capable of producing true emotions, especially love or hate.  But they can create a sense of obsessive infatuation or intense disgust, both of which are dangerous if abused.”

“Are prior emotional ties necessary for their successful use?”

“Oh, no, of course not,” Rose said quickly.  “However, if strong feelings already exist, they are greatly magnified.”

“And what is the Ministry’s position concerning these two potions?” Zabini asked.

“Well, because of the damage they can inflict not only to the person who drinks them, but also those who interact with them, the Ministry strictly controls their use,” Rose continued.  “It is also illegal to produce them in their most concentrated forms.”

“Thank you, Miss Weasley,” Zabini replied.  She finally looked away from Rose and addressed the entire class, without, Rose noted in extreme annoyance, returning any of the lost House points to Gryffindor.  “As Miss Weasley has correctly stated, each of these potions may be brewed in varying degrees, but their use is highly regulated by the Department of Mysteries and no one other than an Unspeakable may brew them in their purest, unadulterated forms.”  She stepped in front of her desk and leaned back against it, looking surprisingly relaxed.  “Today, you will work in tandem with the others at your desk to brew each potion at a level falling just below the threshold requiring registration with the Ministry.  But I warn you, they will still be quite potent, even brewed to these limited degrees, and will require your undivided attention.  Additionally, at the end of class, you are required to dispose of them completely, no matter that most, if not all, of you will feel a strong, inexplicable urge not to part with the Amortentia.  Be advised, however, that anyone not doing so will fail this class.”

_Oh please_ , Rose thought dismissively at her professor’s intense admonishments.  _Being a bit overdramatic, don’t you think_?

“And since each one takes just under an hour to brew at these levels, I suggest you get started,” Zabini continued.  “I have the supplemental ingredients here.”

Rose glanced to her right and met Al’s eye as he was rising from his chair.  He smiled sympathetically and muttered, “I’ll go,” and she watched as he fetched the necessary ingredients for their potions from Professor Zabini at the storage cabinet, with Ellie on his heels.  

She flipped her potions book open to page 528, glancing over the instructions as she stood and began pulling her measuring scales and potions kit from her bag, shaking her head and whispering, “Later,” in response to Simon’s quiet and almost annoyingly concerned, “Psst.  You alright?” from the other end of their table, not wanting to call any more attention to herself from Zabini.  

Still, she couldn’t stop her eyes from surreptitiously darting to the front of the classroom once more, to the second table in the row across the aisle to be precise.  He was also standing, already adding ingredients to the pewter cauldron in front of him, speaking to Rory as he did so before glancing over his shoulder, almost as if he felt her eyes upon him.  He raised a questioning eyebrow at her from beneath his fringe of blond hair, flashing her a quick grin before turning back to his potion, causing a smile to automatically play upon her lips.  She glanced back at her Potions book before measuring out the cantharidin and tribulus, adding the corresponding amounts to each potion, after which Simon mixed in the Essence of Damiana and Patchouli in the proper order 

She looked up when Al and Ellie returned to their table and Al sidled up next to her.  He leaned in and said in an undertone, “Real smooth, Rosie.  Of all the classes you could possibly be late for, and you picked this one?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.  _I overslept_.  It isn’t as if I did it on purpose,” Rose muttered, rolling her eyes as she took three of the four red roses Al had dropped on the table and pulled off the petals, careful to remove each one entirely, before dropping them into one pile and the stems into another.  She stopped and sighed in exasperation, shaking her head when Al leaned across Ellie and raised the heat under the second cauldron.  “No, Al, you’re doing it wrong.  The Stygeotentia has to be simmered over low heat first, then gradually brought to boiling,” Rose instructed, pointing to her book which she pulled over and positioned between them on the desk.  “See?  It’s the Amortentia that you bring to a boil before simmering.”

She pretended not to see Al rolling his eyes as he interjected, “Okay, I’ve got it; calm down,” or Ellie and Simon exchanging an amused glance, doing her best to focus on the potions.  She was absolutely determined to brew them perfectly so as not to give Zabini any further excuse to call attention to her again, either alone or as part of a group.

The others allowed Rose to continue her work in near silence for quite some time and that suited her just fine.  She finished separating the roses, adding the petals one by one to the Amortentia as Al gave a single leisurely stir after each one, then slivering the stems, taking extra care to remove the thorns which Ellie then added all at once to the Stygeotentia along with the crushed petals from the fourth flowers.  She periodically heard Al, Ellie, and Simon as they whispered and murmured to one another, picking up on an odd word here or there, but not making any attempt whatsoever to really pay attention to their conversations or join in them.

She certainly didn’t mind them talking quietly while they were working, but she preferred to focus entirely upon a potion when adding the ingredients and completing the initial phase.  She knew, not only through her parents’ continued warnings from as early as she could remember to take potion brewing seriously, but also from reading accounts of what could happen when just one ingredient was added in an incorrect amount or the proper number of turns and stirs were not carried out in the early stages.  And she absolutely refused to become one of those examples.

When she’d finally added the final drop of Wormwood oil and stirred counter-clockwise six times and then clockwise nine times in rapid succession, she took a deep breath and smiled as the bright red potion immediately began to lighten over the high heat.

“Excellent,” she murmured, looking over at the others.  Ellie was adding what looked like viper venom to the nearly simmering cauldron as Simon stirred furiously, and Rose knew that they, too, were finishing up the initial stage.

Rose looked around and saw that Zabini had stopped at the first table in their row, which stood almost directly in front of her desk, and, judging by the looks on their faces, she appeared to be drilling Jacob Mills, Edwin Hall, Rosalind Abercrombie, and Cassandra Summers quite intensely.

She signed, knowing that it was just a matter of time until it was their turn, and turning back to lower the heat just slightly under the Amortentia.  “You need to raise that a bit,” she instructed to Simon, gesturing to the still bright black potion he was stirring.

“You know, it’s too bad you didn’t get here just a couple of minutes earlier, or you would’ve made it,” Al observed, turning back to Rose.  “She was late herself and had only just started when you came in.”

“Well, that figures,” she sighed, rolling her eyes.  “At least I only lost us ten points this time.  And no detention.  D’you suppose things might finally be looking up for me with Zabini after all?” she said sarcastically.

“Perhaps it’s your ties to Slytherin that have made the difference,” Ellie joked over Al’s shoulder as he peered into the second cauldron.  “You know who her favorite student is aside from her own son.”

“I seriously doubt my dating Scorpius carries any weight whatsoever with Zabini,” Rose retorted.  “Most likely, it’s the other way around, seeing as he’s lowering his standards and all to be with me…”

She cut her remarks short and looked past Ellie to the other end of the table at Simon’s heavy sigh.  He was bent over the far cauldron containing the Stygeotentia, now stirring it slowly, a frustrated look on his face.  “Bloody hell.  Can’t you just give it a rest?”  He fixed his eyes upon Rose, an odd look on his face.  “Everything’s fine with you, right?”

“Yeah,” Rose replied, eyeing him quizzically.  “Everything’s fine.” 

“And the reason you overslept is…” he prompted, returning his attention to the cauldron in front of him. 

“I stayed up late revising last night and ignored my alarm,” Rose answered, sure that the tone of her voice gave away her confusion as to his questions.

“ _So you’re fine_ ,” he continued with a harsh look on his face.  “Zabini’s had her say and has properly chastised you for having the audacity to show up late for her class.  There’s no reason to continue rehashing it, is there?”

Completely puzzled, Rose looked over at Ellie, who shrugged discreetly, and Al, who was looking at Simon with the same sort of look Rose was sure she wore.  “Simon?” she ventured.  “Are _you_ alright?”  

“ _Yes_ ,” he replied, a scowl upon his face.  “But is it too much to ask for one bloody Potions class where I don’t have to spend the entire time listening to you talk about Scorpius Malfoy?”

“Sure,” she said quietly, trying to keep the hurt from her voice.  “I didn’t realize I did that.”

“You don’t,” Ellie assured her, shooting an angry look in Simon’s direction before turning back to Rose.  “Don’t mind him.”

Al continued eyeing Simon, a mixture of concern and realization upon his face.  “Here, mate,” he said as he took the pewter ladle from Simon, forced him out of the way, and began stirring the Stygeotentia, “let me take over for a while.”  Rose watched in wonderment as, almost immediately, Simon’s features softened and he looked more like himself again, while at the same time, Al’s normally relaxed expression shifted to one of agitation.

“Oh!” Rose exclaimed as quietly as she could.  “I think it’s starting to work.”  She glanced into the cauldron Al was stirring before reaching for her open Potions book and scanning the pages.  The thick dull grey potion inside was boiling over the high heat, and dark smoky clouds were collecting above it.  “Yes,” she said, pointing to the book.  “When the clouds appear, it’s almost ready.”  _And that explains the mood_ , she thought, eyeing Simon and Al, both of whom were watching her avidly, very differing airs surrounding them.

She turned back to the Amortentia, which had quickly gone from bright red to pale pink and looked to be lightening quickly now towards its characteristic mother-of-pearl sheen, and tiny spiral tendrils were floating along the top, just skimming the surface.  Rose took a deep breath, sniffing the slight aroma of chocolate and grass and a lovely spicy minty scent that she immediately associated with Scorpius.  She looked over and grinning dreamily at Ellie, who had also leaned in and was wearing a most content look on her face.

“Ooh, nice,” Ellie cooed softly.  “That’s heavenly, isn’t it?”  She glanced over at Al, who was watching them intently, his eyes uncharacteristically clouded with what looked like anger or jealousy or disdain.  

He glared at them, nodding to a spot behind Rose’s back as he muttered, “We’ve got company.” 

Rose sighed, only a tinge of dread able to compete with the euphoria she was feeling when she heard Zabini remark, “How do you feel, Mr. Potter?”

Al let out an irritated breath.  “How do you think I feel?” he responded through clenched teeth.  

She smirked.  “Precisely as you should.”  She turned her attention Simon.  “And you, Mr. Macmillan?  Did you feel any negative effects?”

“Oh yeah,” he said ardently, his brow furrowed.  

Zabini nodded then focused her gaze upon Rose and Ellie.  “And the two of you certainly appear to be under the influence of the Amortentia.”  She glanced into each cauldron and looked up, meeting each one of their eyes.  “Nice effort today.” 

Rose, Ellie, Al, and Simon looked at each other in amazement as she moved past them to the next table.  Zabini was not their most pleasant professor, to put it mildly, and she rarely acknowledged any of them in class for anything positive.  

They quickly disposed of the Stygeotentia, but Rose was surprised that the thought of keeping a vial of Amortentia actually crossed her mind, recalling how she’d completely disregarded Zabini’s earlier warnings, and she could tell by the slight hesitancy exhibited by each of them when it came time to finally dispose of it, the others were thinking the same thing.

She looked up when Zabini addressed the class, once again leaning against the front of her desk, her arms folded over her chest.  “For tomorrow, continue studying chapter seven, focusing upon the negative repercussions from these potions and the antidotes.”  She walked around her desk and stood behind her chair.  “Oh, and Miss Weasley, see me after class.”

Rose sighed in resignation, the effects of the Amortentia wearing off now that she wasn’t breathing it in.  “Yes, Professor.”

“What do you suppose that’s about?” Ellie asked quietly 

Rose shrugged as she closed her book and slid it into her bag.  “My being late, I expect.  I can’t think of anything else.”

She passed Scorpius as she made her way to the front of the classroom.  He didn’t speak but he smiled as their eyes locked and their hands brushed, and Rose felt slightly more at ease as she stood in front of her most disliked professor’s desk and met her gaze. 

Zabini gestured to one of the chairs as she sat down behind her desk.  “Have a seat, Miss Weasley.”  

Rose felt an uneasy flutter in her stomach as she sat in the nearest seat.  “Alright.”

Zabini removed her reading glasses and perched them atop her head before fixing Rose with a steely gaze and clearing her throat with a ridiculously annoying ‘ahem,” as she did often.  “As I’m sure you are aware, yours was the most difficult potion I assigned for this year’s mid-term projects.”

“I had an idea,” Rose said quietly when it appeared Zabini expected a response.

“In fact, before you, I’ve never assigned the Polyjuice Potion to anyone prior to seventh year, in preparation for N.E.W.T.s.”

_Why am I not surprised_? Rose thought bitterly, biting her tongue.

“Frankly,” Zabini continued, “I’ve never had a sixth year student that I felt was up to the challenge before.”  

Rose’s eyes grew wide, and she stared at Zabini in disbelief, not really trusting herself to speak and wondering when this conversation had crossed over into the surreal.

“Er – thank you,” she managed, feeling her cheeks burning.  “I, uh…”

Zabini picked up a parchment and held it across the desk for Rose to take.  “Look this over and discuss it with Professor Longbottom.  That is, presuming you plan to consider a career in something other than professional Quidditch.”

_And just what’s wrong with professional Quidditch?_ Rose thought defensively as she took the parchment from her; although she wasn’t altogether keen on mentioning it just now, the thought had crossed Rose’s mind more than once.  She glanced down at the parchment then back up at her professor in shock.  “Why me?” she asked, unable to quell her suspicions and questions as to why _Zabini_ of all people would approach her with an opportunity such as this.  

“As much as it pains me to admit, Miss Weasley, your Polyjuice only confirmed my suspicions as to your talent,” Zabini said with a heavy sigh, “and as your professor, it is my responsibility to encourage and cultivate it.”

“But this?” Rose asked uncomfortably, holding the parchment slightly aloft.  “I’m not sure that this is –“

“If not that, there are a number of positions –”

“But I have no intention of working for the Ministry,” Rose interjected, attempting to hand the parchment back to Zabini.

“So nothing there interests you, then?” Zabini prompted.  She fixed Rose with a curious gaze but did not take the paper back from her.  “No plans to follow your father as an Auror?  Surely your mother would be more than eager to find a position for you within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.”

“Or perhaps I should just have Uncle Percy get me a job in the Minister’s office?”  Rose retorted sarcastically as she shook her head and offered the parchment once again.  “No, I can do fine on my own, thank you.  I have no desire to rely upon my family to provide me with a well-planned future that I didn’t earn on my own and that I don’t even want.”

Zabini bit back a snort behind a cough and looked at her with barely veiled amusement and something that appeared to be approval, although Rose was sure that wasn’t truly the case as she remarked, “I’m sure Granger and Weasley simply love that,” in a tone not quite under her breath.

She nodded toward the parchment still in Rose’s hand.  “Be that as it may, I’d hold onto that if I were you.  You’ll do yourself a disservice by not keeping all of your avenues open.”  She stood and pushed her chair under her desk.  “At least discuss your options,” she nodded to the paper in Rose’s hand, “with Longbottom before you discount it entirely.”  She glanced at her watch.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare for my next class.  I trust you can show yourself out.”

And with that, Professor Zabini turned and entered her office, the door shutting behind her.  As she watched her walk away, Rose found herself tempted to call out to her professor and say _something_ , but she wasn’t sure what, and so she resisted the urge and instead, sat there in shock, staring at the parchment in her hand, bewildered at the events of the past few moments.  

Had that really happened – had Pansy Zabini really just complimented her potion and offered her career advice?  Deciding not to linger and give Zabini the opportunity to return and find her still there, Rose slung her book bag over her shoulder and walked out the door. 

“Well, that was interesting.”

She spun around to find Scorpius leaning back against the far dungeon wall, just underneath one of the torches lighting the corridor, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes focused intently upon her, and she was instantly warm, unable to fight the strong attraction she felt as her eyes swept over him.

“What’s interesting?” Rose asked, sure that the sudden smile on her lips and the flush she felt rising in her cheeks were exposing not only the shivers spreading up her spine in response to his gaze but also her overwhelming urge to hurl herself into his arms.

“Class today,” he replied, pushing away from the wall and advancing toward her, meeting her half way.  “Those potions.”  He reached out and gently touched her cheek, displaying none of the timidity that she’d grown weary of over the past few days, and she instinctively leaned into his hand, the sensations of his fingers lightly stroking her jaw moving through her, leaving her with a feeling of intoxication.

“How so?”

“It was you,” he continued quietly, moving closer still, and she didn’t even realize she was moving with him until her back hit the wall.

“What was me?”

Their eyes locked, and she felt herself drowning, or perhaps she was floating, in the depths of his brilliant, icy blue eyes, and her heart soared as, for the first time in days, she saw the Scorpius she’d been missing.

“The Amortentia…it was you.  I recognized it immediately.  That third scent – a mixture of chocolate and something flowery – it’s you.”  He murmured the last words against her lips, and Rose felt something ignite within her.  She kissed him greedily, her arms entwined tightly around his neck, and she pulled him closer, wedging herself between the cold, hard wall and his warm, hard body.

_Oh god_ , she thought, almost taken aback at the intensity in which they were kissing each other, although she immediately knew it wouldn’t be enough…wasn’t enough.  She wanted more – now – and she didn’t care if it was due to having deeply inhaled the Amortentia just moments before, or the fact that it had been almost two weeks, or just because it was him and she loved him and wanted things to be back to normal between them so desperately.

“Merlin, Rose…” he murmured pleadingly at the same time that she whispered “Scorpius,” against his ear.  She ran her tongue along the shell, smiling when he trembled beneath her touch as her mouth moved down his jaw and she suckled on his neck.  She gasped when his teeth found her earlobe, hooked her ankle around his calf, and pressed her body firmly against his, eliciting from him a sound that was a bit like a muffled growl immediately before he pulled away almost roughly.

Her first reaction was to complain or argue, but he quieted her with another deep kiss.  “Not here,” he muttered against her lips.  He pulled her by the hips as he walked backwards down the corridor, somehow steering them to the entrance of the Slytherin common room and inside to his dormitory, the trip seeming to take forever and yet she couldn’t recall having taken it once they arrived at his doorway, and he kissed her again.

“Have to check…” he said breathlessly, gesturing for her to wait as he opened the door and peered through the crack before nearly yanking her inside and slamming it closed behind them.  Without hesitation, Rose fisted his shirt and drew his face to hers, their lips meeting urgently as they moved toward his bed at the far end of the room, literally falling onto it the moment Scorpius’s legs hit the edge.

Within mere moments, Rose found herself straddling his lap, muttering, “Off,” as her fingers worked the buttons on his shirt.  She heard him agree, “Yes, off,” against her neck, refusing to stop suckling even when she finished unbuttoning it, pulled it off, and tossed it to the end of the bed.  Instead, he focused his attention on removing her shirt as well, pausing only long enough to slide it off of her, his mouth following its path across her shoulder as he went to work on her bra, dropping it unceremoniously to the floor seconds later and sliding his hands up her back, holding her tightly against him as his mouth moved down to her chest, causing Rose to moan loudly, teetering on the edge in no time at all.

“Wait,” she managed, pushing him away from her and backwards onto the bed.  She was breathing heavily as she sat up on her knees and ran her hands over his stomach and up his chest, bending over and placing kiss after kiss up his breastbone to his neck.

“F-u-c-k,” he groaned as his hands delved into her hair, allowing her to continue her open-mouthed kisses down his jaw and back to his mouth where she whispered against his lips, “I love you,” before kissing him passionately once more.

“Please, Rose,” he whispered when they broke apart, his fingers now moving slowly up her thighs.  “I…please…say yes.”

Her eyes blazed as they bored into his.  “Yes,” she replied simply, the word barely out of her mouth before he sat up and his lips crashed upon hers, his hands threaded once more into her hair as she reached down and unzipped her skirt.

It seemed like forever but was really only seconds later when Scorpius flipped her over onto her back and slid her skirt and knickers down her legs before making short work of his trousers and pants.  And then he was inside of her and making love to her, murmuring, “I love you” as he moved slowly, the fingers of his left hand digging into the flesh of her thigh when she wrapped it around him.

The pace was intoxicating, maddening, and exhilarating, all at the same time, and Rose was hovering just at the brink, just beyond satisfaction and completion.  She wanted him to maintain the slow and steady rhythm that he’d set, but at the same time, a part of her wanted him to move faster and harder, to drive her over the edge.  And yet, in the end, her overwhelming feelings – both emotional and physical – as they became more and more powerful the longer he prolonged his climax finally pushed her over, and she clutched him tightly to her as she came, wrapping her arms and legs as tightly around him as she could, calling his name and bringing him with her. 

He collapsed to her side and pulled her tightly against his chest, his fingers stroking her cheek as his breathing slowed.  

Rose reached up and touched his lips, feeling goosebumps when he lightly sucked the tips of her fingers into his mouth.  “I…that was nice,” she said quietly, a blush rising over her cheeks and she felt his chest vibrate under her cheek as he chuckled.  

“More than _nice_ , if you ask me.”

She raised her head, resting her chin on his chest, and met his amused gaze.  “How about bloody brilliant then?” she asked playfully.  “Does that more accurately describe it?”

“That’s better,” he conceded with a smug smirk.  “Although I’m still not sure it’s quite enough.”

Rose laughed.  “Not enough?  Okay.  What about fucking incredible?”

“Better yes, but…” He chuckled again then reached out and stroked her hair, brushing it back from her forehead.  “Not sure there are words, really” he muttered, his eyes fixed upon hers.

Rose smiled, scooting up to kiss him gently.  “I know I’ve already told you but…I love you, Scorpius.  I’ve missed this… _missed you_.  Since we got back –”

Scorpius pressed his fingers against her lips and shook his head, staring at her intently.  “We’re past that, aren’t we?”

“But things have been so awkward, don’t you think?  I mean, do you realize that this is the first time we’ve even been alone since that night?”  

“Yeah, well,” he took a deep breath, “I didn’t want to pressure you about whether or not things were going to be okay between us.  Although,” he paused, grinning sheepishly as he gestured between them, “I don’t suppose we’d be here, like this, if we weren’t okay,” he said with a sigh, tucking several stray curls behind her ear, and Rose felt her heart swell at the relief in his voice.

“No,” she conceded with a wry smile.  “I don’t suppose we would.”  She giggled.  “And it’s a damn good thing, because if I’d been forced to endure one more day of that tentative, polite shit from you …”

He laughed.  “Yeah, that was excruciating.”

“I’ll say.”  She lightly stroked the hair on his chest.  “Promise me you won’t ever act like that again, Malfoy.”

“Only if you do, Weasley,” he responded with a smirk, running his index finger lightly down her side, causing her to squirm and giggle nervously.

“Don’t you dare tickle me!”

He arched an eyebrow as he considered her.  “I’ll stop for now,” he teased, halting the movement of his finger.  “But only so long as you behave yourself.”

“So long as _I_ behave myself?” she asked in mock indignation.  “You’re one to talk.”

“What’s the point of behaving when there’s so much fun to be had otherwise?” he retorted, cutting her off with another kiss.  Rose returned it for a moment before reluctantly pulling back and sitting up when she felt his fingers inching ever closer to her breasts.  

“Scorpius…we can’t.  We have Muggle Studies in twenty minutes.”

“C’mon, Rose,” he pleaded, attempting to kiss her again.

“Only for now,” she bargained with a grin.  “But I can’t afford to be late to another class.”

“Yeah, alright,” he said, looking mildly disgruntled as he sat up and crossed his arms over his chest.  “I’ll stop for now.”  

She slipped out of bed and began dressing, feeling slightly self-conscious knowing that Scorpius was watching her, but it waned when he, too, got up and got dressed a few moments later.  He was pulling on his trainers, and she was running a brush through her hair when he looked up at her from the bed.  “You know…we got a bit side-tracked before, but I meant to ask you what Pansy wanted after class.”

“Oh,” she said, turning around quickly and moving to sit next to him on the bed, sure that her lingering shock showed in her expression, “you won’t believe me when I tell you.”

He grimaced.  “That bad?”  

“No,” she replied, “that’s the thing. It wasn’t.”  She reached down and grabbed her bag from the floor, feeling around inside it until she found the parchment that Zabini had given to her, which she handed to Scorpius.

His eyes scanned it then returned to hers.  “Wow.  That’s...well…it’s perfect for you, come to think of it,” he finished.  “Is this something you’ve ever thought about before?”

“Never,” she answered emphatically.  

“Are you interested then?”

Rose shrugged.  “I dunno.  To be honest, I’ve never even seriously considered anything to do with the Ministry.  Too many Weasleys there already, you know?”

“You’d be mental not to at least consider this,” Scorpius said seriously.

“I know,” she conceded, pausing and biting her lip.  “But…then I’d have to face Mum and Dad and… _everyone_ …after all these years of insisting that I would _never_ work for the Ministry.”

“And I know how _difficult_ that would be for you,” he said sardonically, offering the parchment back to her.  “C’mon, Rose.  Seriously.  This is worth the humiliation, don’t you think?  Don’t you know how rarely they recruit?”

“Yes, _I know_ ,” she replied with a heavy sigh, taking the paper and stuffing it back into her bag which she dropped to his bed.  “I suppose I’ll talk to Neville about it sometime soon.”

“You really should.”  

“I will,” she reiterated.  “But I’m _not_ mentioning it to my parents or anyone else in the family, except for Al, of course.”  She sighed and rolled her eyes.  “Oh, I can just hear Uncle George now.  ‘Always knew you’d sell out to them eventually,’” she imitated, cringing.

Scorpius sniggered.  “A bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

Rose smiled ruefully.  “Perhaps.”  She giggled then bit her lip and looked at him intently.  “It’s a bit scary to think about, actually.  No one really knows what they require during the application process.”

“Well, just because you talk it over with Professor Longbottom doesn’t mean you have to apply,” he said with a shrug, standing and motioning to the door.  “You ready?”

“Hmm hmm.”  She nodded and picked up her bag as he continued, “And putting in an application doesn’t ensure you’ll be accepted.”

“Good point.”

Scorpius reached down and picked up his bag which he’d dropped just inside the door.  “You’ve worked really hard to get where you are.”  Scorpius took her hand and led her down the corridor towards his common room.  “You deserve the chance to prove you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, truly touched by his praise.  She gripped his hand tighter, and he glanced back at her with a sincere smile.

“You know I mean it.”

Rose nodded.  “I know you do.”

“And who knows,” he said, his wicked smirk slowly grazing his lips.  “Maybe this’ll outweigh all those detentions and you’ll be chosen as Head Girl.”

“As if I wanted to be Head Girl,” Rose scoffed.  “That’s your goal, not mine.”

“ _I_ don’t want to be Head Girl,” he teased, and Rose rolled her eyes, playfully swatting him on the arm as they exited the Slytherin common room and walked through the corridors towards the staircase.

“Ha, ha!  As if you’d have a chance at Head Girl anyway against Ellie,” Rose retorted.  “She’s a cert.  Just as you are for Head Boy.”

Scorpius donned a very exaggeratedly sorrowful face.  “Maybe so, but I’m hurt, Miss Weasley, that you’d prefer I spend my time patrolling with your best friend than with you.”

Rose snorted.  “Don’t you suppose, as Head Boy, you have a say-so concerning who I patrol with?”

“Ah, right you are,” he said. 

“It happens occasionally,” she giggled.

“More than occasionally,” he murmured, tugging on her arm and pulling her flush against him.  Without thinking on it, Rose pulled him into the broom closet next door to their classroom and she lost herself once more in Scorpius, not even bothering to make an excuse when the two of them resurfaced half an hour later and slunk into class. 


	17. Chapter 17

** Chapter 17 **

“Well?” Fred prompted as he slid onto the bench next to Hugo, nodding toward _The Daily Prophet_ haphazardly folded and lying on the table at Hugo’s other side, a hopeful look on his face. “What’s the good word?”

Hugo shook his head, and Fred’s face fell and his shoulders slumped. “Sorry, mate. We’re still down.”

“Damn! What’s the magic number?” Fred asked, disappointment resounding in his voice. He motioned for Rose to slide the nearest pitcher his way and she offered him a sad smile as she complied.

“Twenty-two,” Hugo answered, shaking his head in disgust. “And _where were you_ last night? I can’t believe you missed the whole match.”

“Bloody O.W.L.s,” Fred replied grumpily as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

“Couldn’t you have taken a break? We even had the wireless going in the Common Room.”

“No. Thanks to _your_ mum,” Fred sneered at Hugo, “ _my_ mum’s got me on a bloody timetable that’s charmed to alert her if I don’t study a minimum of four hours a day from now until the stupid tests next month.”

“Ouch,” Al grimaced. “That’s total crap.”

Fred nodded. “Tell me about it. And what’s worse, she’s got Dad on board, too, and he won’t give me the counter-spell to shut the damned thing off.”

“Maybe y’oughta be glad you missed it,” Hugo mused as he took a bite of bacon, a sour look on his face. “Ballycastle held ‘em to only sixty-one points before that bloody Stoeking caught the Snitch. Was quite possibly the worst match Puddlemere’s ever played.”

“Fucking Bats!” Fred groaned loudly, causing several others to glance at him from further down the table. Wearing a tremendous frown, he reached across the table, practically tossing toast and eggs onto his plate. “And fucking Cannons! Just you watch! They’ll get us right there and then find a way to muck it up.”

“Oh, come on. It isn’t over yet,” Rose reasoned, popping several berries into her mouth. “There’s still plenty of time to catch up, and the whole team has never played better.”

“And they _were_ down by thirty-nine before yesterday,” Al offered.

“And don’t forget, we’ve got Elspeth Jones,” Rose reminded him as she smiled in encouragement. “You know she’s made all the difference this season. After all, if it wasn’t for her, the Cannons wouldn’t even be in contention.”

Fred shook his head bitterly. “No. Jones or no, they’re going to find a way to fuck it up. I just know it,” he huffed before stuffing a large forkful of beans into his mouth.

“You’re barmy, you know that?” Hugo exclaimed, disbelief on his face. “She’s the best player in the league by far. According to Dad and Uncle Harry, she’s even better than her dad and he was considered one of the best Seekers ever to play the game.”

“They all saw him play in person, you know,” Rose offered. “Remember? When Granddad took them all to the Quidditch World Cup.”

“And he was friends with Mum,” Hugo added with a grin to Rose. 

She nodded, giggling softly. “Well, I suppose you could say that.”

“Wha-? What am I missing here?” Fred asked in confusion.

“Dad says he was Mum’s first boyfriend,” Rose explained. “That year he was in the Triwizard Tournament with Uncle Harry and Auntie Fleur.”

“That’s right,” Hugo said with a chuckle. “Although she insists it was nothing like that.”

“Well, he’s a brilliant coach, isn’t he?” Al pointed out. “Since he took over, the Falcons have gone from the bottom of the league to squarely in the middle, all in three years. Mum reckons he’ll have them in the playoffs before long.”

Hugo nodded. “They both are. You know she’s in charge of their fitness program, right? Dad says they were both such brilliant players so they can get more out of their players since they’ve been in the mix themselves.”

“Didn’t Auntie Ginny play with Gwenog for a year or two?” Rose asked, turning to Al.

“Yeah,” he answered. “She was still on the team during Mum’s first year, but she left the next year when she got pregnant and never went back to playing.”

Rose recalled an article she’d read in Quidditch Quarterly over Christmas holidays about Elspeth Jones and her famous parents, as well as an ensuing discussion about it amongst her aunts, uncles, and parents at the Burrow and the revelation that it had been a terrific scandal when Jones’s parents had married all those years ago, due in part to their celebrity status and in part to the fact that her dad was nine years her mum’s junior.

“Mum said she met her at a party once. Remember, Rose?” Hugo said. “And even though Mum wasn’t a big follower of Quidditch back then, she was still impressed.”

“Hmm hmm,” Rose agreed, pushing her eggs around her plate. She turned back to Fred, who still looked dejected. “Chin up, Fred. Dad’s been following the Cannons his whole life, and he says they’ve never played better. He thinks this is their year and that Jones will deliver.”

“Yeah,” Hugo sniggered. “Remember how he reacted when they first traded for her? He even threatened to trade in his season tickets and become a Tornadoes fan.”

Rose giggled and Al quirked an eyebrow at her. “You’re joking.”

“No, it’s true,” Rose replied, shaking her head as she fought back her laughter. “He said she couldn’t possibly live up to all the expectations and was just an expensive distraction.”

“And now I’d say Dad’s one of her biggest fans,” Hugo interjected. “He’s even got an autographed photo of her in his office.”

“An autographed photo of who?” James asked as he sat down on Rose’s other side.

“Elspeth Jones,” Al answered, and James grinned as he shoved half a piece of toast into his mouth before reaching across the table and loading his plate.

“Always knew Uncle Ron had good taste,” he mumbled as he chewed. 

“What was that?” Rose asked, not really sure that she wanted the answer. “And really, James, it’s always best to swallow first, you know.”

James sniggered, swallowing exaggeratedly, and affixed her with a smirk. “Thanks for the tip, brat. I’ll be sure to remember that in the future, although I’m not sure I’ll soon forget it, if you know what I mean.” He looked around her and winked at Al then returned his gaze back to Rose. “I said I always knew Uncle Ron could spot a good thing when he sees it. And Elspeth Jones is definitely ‘something good’ to spot.” 

Rose rolled her eyes as Fred and Hugo nodded enthusiastically, avidly voicing their agreement. 

“Right you are, James.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

But when even Al agreed, “Yeah, she’s fit, alright,” Rose thought she might have to puke.

“She looks a lot like that old poster of her mother that Mum still has,” James commented between bites. “Talk about bloody hot…that one is scorching.”

“Not to mention, she’s a brilliant Seeker, right?” Rose asked, interrupting them before they really got going and the word “shag” became the cue for her to douse them all with _Aguamenti_ before getting up and leaving the Hall.

“Um, yeah,” Al murmured, his face reddening slightly. “Both Mum and Dad said all along she’d be a real asset to the team.”

“And she has _some assets_ ,” James supplied with a snicker as he gestured to his chest and cupped invisible breasts, causing Rose to seriously fight the urge to smack him hard upside the head.

“Merlin, James! Don’t you think that’s quite enough?” she exclaimed. “We all know you have a one-track mind, but do you have to be so crude about it?” She shook her head in exasperation. “I have to assume you don’t carry on like that in front of other girls, especially one in particular, otherwise you’d be without a girlfriend for certain.”

“Hell no,” James scoffed. “I’m on my best behavior around girls.”

“ _Around girls_?” Rose repeated scathingly. “And what am I then?”

James rolled his eyes and snorted. “Family doesn’t count.”

Rose glared at him. “Oh really? And I suppose you’d act like that in front of Auntie Ginny or Gran, would you?”

James shuddered visibly, bringing a smirk to Rose’s face. Hugo and Fred snickered, and Al laughed out loud. “Oh please. _Please_ tell Mum how much you appreciate Jones’s _assets_ in that exact way, only make sure I’m around to watch when she reduces you to a slug.”

James rolled his eyes and glared, first at Al, then at Rose, then across the table at Hugo and Fred. “Grow up, you lot,” he said, and Rose couldn’t stop herself from giggling as a flush ran up his neck and cheeks. He turned to her and elbowed her hard in the ribs. “And c’mon, brat, you know you’re one of us.”

Rose stopped short with whatever else she might have been ready to say, a shy smile unconsciously playing across her lips. No matter that she sometimes wanted to throttle him, she had to admit that James had his moments of charming irresistibility.

A rare silence, aside from the occasional chuckle, fell over the group. Rose concentrated on her plate, watching her fork push the very unappealing-looking eggs to the edge. She heard the rustle of the paper and looked up to find Fred flipping to the Quidditch page. He sighed loudly when he set the paper down a few moments later.

“D’you really think they can pull it out?” he asked dejectedly. “I don’t know if I can survive being so close and not making it to the playoffs.”

“Why not. They’ve got as good a chance as any. Besides,” Al reasoned, “who’d have thought it at all? I mean, if anyone’d told you at the start of the season that the Cannons would be in contention with the likes of the Tornadoes, the Bats, the Harpies, and Puddlemere United for the league championship, would you’ve even believed it?”

“True.” Fred shrugged and his eyes glazed over slightly. “Can’t you just imagine that final match?” 

“Yeah, what I wouldn’t give to be there,” Hugo lamented. “Even if the Cannons don’t make it, it would still be brilliant to be there in person, but ‘specially if the Cannons do make it.” 

Fred nodded enthusiastically. “You know Jacob Mills, don’t you? His dad is with the Department of Magical Sports and Games, and he gets comp tickets, so they go every year. He says there’s nothing better than being there in person.” He focused his attention on James. “D’you think Auntie Ginny or Uncle Harry could pull some strings and hook us up with some?”

James snorted. “Oh yeah. As if Dad would ever pull the ‘I’m Harry Potter’ card. Not bloody likely. Mum either.” 

“There’s got to be a way to get to the playoffs,” Fred continued. “We may never get another chance to see them play for the championship.”

James snapped his fingers. “You know, Fred, come to think of it, Malfoy goes every year, too. Maybe you can hit him up for an invite considering his…associations…” he nudged Rose in the side with his elbow, “with our dear Rosie here.”

“And what makes you think he’d take any of you lot when he can take me instead?” Rose asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, a smirk playing upon her lips as she looked over her shoulder and glanced across the room to the Slytherin table, catching a glimpse of the back of Scorpius’s head. She heard Al chuckle to her left and she glanced at him before turning to James, forcing herself to fight the urge to laugh out loud at the stunned look he wore. 

“You’re not going?” James asked incredulously.

She hadn’t mentioned Scorpius’s surprise to any of the others, aside from Al, of course. _But there’s no time like the present_ , she thought, only somewhat smugly. 

“Oh, but I am,” she announced before taking a sip of coffee and glancing at James out of the corner of her eye as he stared at her, wearing a clearly envious gaze.

Fred looked completely flabbergasted. “Did you just say _you’re going_?” 

“Hmm hmm.” 

“D’you think Dad’ll let you?” Hugo asked, doubt evident in his voice. 

Rose nodded. “I owled Mum and Dad two weeks ago, right after Scorpius asked me, and Dad’s already agreed.”

“Good on him,” Hugo laughed in astonishment. “Glad to know he’s making progress. Although, don’t be surprised if he just happens to show up and keep an eye on your every move.”

“He’d never do that,” Rose insisted playfully. “But all the same, I reckon I’ll keep an eye out for him. Just in case.”

“It isn’t _you_ who needs the heads up,” James snickered. “You need to warn _Malfoy_ to keep an eye out because there’s no mistaking _he’s_ the one Uncle Ron’d be watching.”

“Maybe not,” Rose countered. “After all, Scorpius will be with us at the celebration on Tuesday, and if he and Dad can spend some time together –”

James snorted. “You’re not seriously going to make him endure the entire Weasley clan in one shot, are you?” He shook his head. “That’s brutal.”

“He’s up to it,” Al interjected, winking at Rose. “Besides, it isn’t as if he’ll be alone with them all. Every wizard and witch who can walk, fly, Floo, Apparate, or otherwise get here will be. Especially with Dad finally agreeing to be a part of the ceremony.”

“Ah yes,” James laughed. “Having ‘The-Boy-Who-Lived-to-Defeat-Voldysnort’ there will ensure a packed grounds. Brilliant move on Kingsley’s part. ‘Course, he’s been trying to get Dad there forever, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Al answered. “Every year as far back as I can remember, anyway.”

“What’d he say to Uncle Harry to convince him?” Fred asked with a chortle. “I thought he was dead set against it.”

“He was. But this is the twenty-fifth commemoration, and Dad thought it was finally the right time, you know, to be involved,” Al explained. “But he made them promise to keep it about who he calls ‘the real heroes’ – all those who fought and died – rather than about him.”

“And he told them in no uncertain terms that he would not be giving a speech of any kind, although I think Mum’s actually convinced him to say a few words,” James continued. “Can’t you just hear it?” He cleared his throat. “Now, Harry,” he began, mimicking his mother’s voice, “there might be an uprising if you don’t at least get up there and do more than wave to your adoring crowd.”

The boys laughed and Rose giggled behind her hand before catching a glimpse of her watch and her laughter turned to a groan. She kneed Al as she pushed back from the table.

“Hurry up, Al. It’s a quarter of. We’ve got to go or we’ll be late.” 

“Bloody hell,” Al muttered. He scrambled to his feet. “Let’s go.” 

“See you,” she called to Hugo, James, and Fred as she and Al took off at a near sprint out of the Great Hall and up the stairs. Professor Trelawny didn’t take too kindly to latecomers, and Rose had no intention of being an example on this particular day, not with the meeting she knew she could no longer put off looming large in her mind.

* * * *

Rose lifted her hand but paused, glancing at the heavy envelope in her hand before knocking. 

_I’m really going to do this,_ she thought, a nervous giggle escaping her lips.

The opportunity of putting in an application with the Unspeakables was something that she had never once considered before Professor Zabini’s suggestion, but Rose had to admit that she’d been almost immediately intrigued, and she’d spent the entire weekend reviewing the information and contemplating her choices, thinking long and hard about the possibilities and what the Department of Mysteries had to offer. And although she’d long been adverse to working for the Ministry, primarily because so many members of her family – from Granddad to Uncle Percy to Uncle Harry to her parents – held high-ranking positions and at least four other members of the Weasley family also worked within the its various departments, none of them were with the Department of Mysteries. In fact, from what she remembered, no Weasley had been an Unspeakable, at least not within the last century.

Before class the following Monday, Rose had gone to Professor Zabini and asked her to obtain the application on Rose’s behalf – anonymously, of course – and then spent many hours since completing it, confiding only in Scorpius, Al, and Professor Zabini, of all people, that she was doing so. 

Never had she expected she’d become friendly with Professor Zabini, but throughout the arduous process of completing the lengthy application, the woman had been not only helpful but encouraging, and over the course of those three weeks, after spending a substantial amount of time with her, Rose was terribly surprised to find not only that Professor Zabini wasn’t so awful after all but that she had actually begun to like her and truly valued her opinion. 

But now that the application itself was complete and ready to be submitted, Rose wanted – no, she _needed_ – Neville’s input, not only as her Head of House but as a parental figure as well.

From the beginning, she’d decided not to tell her parents just yet, in large part to ensure that no Weasley or Potter ‘put in a good word for her,’ so as to ensure that she was considered and either accepted or rejected based upon her own merits. But she had to admit that she was nervous, questioning whether she’d be accepted at all, and she didn’t think she could bear for them to know about it in the event she wasn’t, especially after she’d adamantly insisted for so long that she would _never_ consider working at the Ministry. 

And since her parents were out, Rose never questioned that Neville was the one she would go to in the end. She’d known him her whole life, what with he and Lavender being such close friends with her parents, and had grown up alongside Colin and Cameron, almost as if they were part of her extended family. And she knew without a doubt that he cared about her dearly and would give her his honest assessment.

She took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door to Greenhouse Three, where she knew he spent most of his time working, waiting for his muffled ‘Come in’ before pushing it open to find him elbow-deep in a large pot of Screechsnap. Liam Donovan stood beside him, holding a large pail of what Rose knew had to be dragon dung.

“Oh, hullo, Rose,” Neville said, looking up at her in surprise. 

“Nev-…er, Professor, can I have a moment?” She bit her lip and held up the envelope in her hand. “I, uh…I wanted to discuss something with you, but if you’re too busy, I can come back.”

“No, it’s fine,” he insisted, dropping the plant back into the pot and wiping his hands on the towel he’d slung over his shoulder. “Why don’t you sit and I’ll be right with you.” She did as Neville asked and sat down on one of the stools at the table nearest the door, watching as he turned to Liam. “That’ll be all for today.”

Liam nodded and murmured, “Tomorrow then?”

“No, I think you more than satisfied your detention today.”

“Thank you, Professor.” He scooped up his Ravenclaw robes and headed for the door. “See you, Rose,” he said as he passed by her on his way to the door.

“Bye, Liam.”

Neville _Scourgified_ his hands and sat down on the stool next to her. 

“So, Rose, what can I do for you?” he asked, a genuine smile over his face, causing her to smile back and immediately feel even more at ease.

“I was hoping you could maybe look these over for me,” she held up the packet containing her application documents, “and make sure I haven’t missed anything.”

Neville extended his hand and Rose handed the envelope over to him. 

“Is this what I think it is?” he asked as he looked up and met her eyes, excitement and pride evident in his gaze and his voice. 

Rose nodded, feeling a blush rising over her face.

“And since when are you interested in working for the Ministry?” he teased. “Last I recall, you were dead set against considering a position even remotely associated with the Ministry in any way. Didn’t you refuse to take my pamphlets during our career advice conference, insisting that you would only consider professional Quidditch, curse-breaking, or something at St. Mungo’s?”

Rose’s blush burned. “Well, I…that is…”

Neville raised his hand and smiled. “I’m only joking, Rose. Pansy spoke to me several weeks ago about whether I thought your interest level might be piqued before she ever recommended you to the Department, and I agreed that perhaps all you needed was a push in the right direction.” He chuckled. “I’ve never known any Weasley who could back down from a good challenge.”

“No, I suppose that doesn’t happen very often, does it?” She shrugged and smiled back. “I still can’t believe she actually did it…recommended me, I mean. I always thought she despised me. She sure acted like it.”

Neville nodded. “There’s no denying that the animosity between Professor Zabini and your mum began a long time ago, and while that might have swayed her when you first came to Hogwarts, I can assure you she’s long since disassociated you with your parents. I know she can be a bit harsh at times, but she takes her position seriously, and she believes she gets better results from her students by emulating the style of teaching she admired when we were students. And I must say, it appears to work for her.” 

“Well, I’m not sure how well it works, but…” Rose murmured, looking out into the greenhouse at all the plants adorning its walls and tables. “I’m just glad the rest of you don’t teach like that.”

Neville chuckled softly. “Can’t say as I’d be able to pull that off myself, could I?”

“No,” Rose giggled, trying to imagine soft-spoken, easy-going Neville in what they called ‘full-out Zabini-mode’ and failing miserably.

“But she wouldn’t have recommended you if she hadn’t believed you were capable, Rose,” Neville said thoughtfully. “And I couldn’t agree more.”

“Thanks, Neville,” she said, leaning over and hugging him. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m really rather excited at the prospects.”

“Of course you are,” he replied, a huge grin on his face. “It’s terribly exciting.” He pulled out the application and began thumbing through it. “What do Hermione and Ron have to say about all this? I’ll bet they’re pleased as punch.” 

“I haven’t told them yet.” She met his disapproving gaze and offered him a pleading look. “Oh, please don’t look at me like that. I’m going to tell them. I promise. But…I mean, what if I’m not accepted? If that happens, I’d tell them then, rather than having to admit that I wasn’t good enough to…well, you know.”

Neville sighed, nodding as he finished perusing the pages of her application, pausing at the last page. “That _is_ a possibility, Rose. The Department of Mysteries is highly competitive. As I’m sure you’re aware, they rarely recruit and don’t make offers every year. Most of the applications submitted are rejected.” He looked up at her and quickly added, most likely in response to the dejected and anxious look on her face. “Although I believe your chances are outstanding.” 

Rose sighed. “I understand it’s a difficult process. But the more I think about it, the more I want it.”

“I’ll do my part by giving you the highest possible recommendation,” he said. “I already have Pansy and Septima’s letters in my office.” Neville shuffled the papers until they were once again organized in a neat stack, and he flashed her a proud smile as he put them back into the envelope and stood. “And everything else looks to be in order. Shall I submit this, then? I can owl it to the Minister’s office first thing Monday morning.”

“Oh yes, please,” Rose answered, nodding her head excitedly. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, Rose. I’d like to see _one_ of my students accepted this year.”

She was so deep in her own thoughts that she almost missed the tinge of bitterness in Neville’s voice, but the look on his face deterred her from pursuing it. “So how long do you think it’ll take for a decision?”

“Not long. No more than a couple of weeks, I’d say.”

Rose smiled brightly. “Excellent.” She stood and clapped her hands together softly. “I can’t wait to tell Al and Scorpius that it’s finally done and going out. I couldn’t have done it without their support and help finishing it up.”

“I imagine Scorpius must’ve been a tremendous help, having already gone through the process himself,” Neville muttered quietly as made his way towards his work table.

Rose paused momentarily, eyeing Neville’s retreating back, a mixture of shock and bewilderment running through her. _What did he just say?_ she thought. _Surely, I heard him wrong_. She bit her lip apprehensively. “Um…Neville?” she began, waiting until he turned around to face her with a distracted, “Hmmm?”

“Did you just say Scorpius has been through this process himself?”

The disingenuous blank expression Neville wore as he attempted to feign ignorance, stammering, “I’m sorry…what was that you asked?” did not erase from Rose’s mind the uneasy, almost panicked look that crossed over his face immediately after her question.

Rose stared at him for a moment then shook her head. “Never mind…I thought you said something, but…it’s nothing.” She smiled wanly, suddenly anxious to leave. “Thanks again, Neville. You know, for everything.” She gestured toward the large envelope lying on the table across the room.

“You’re welcome,” he answered, looking as if he was going to say something more, but apparently deciding against it when he sighed in what sounded like resignation. “Enjoy your weekend, Rose.”

“You, too. And say ‘hullo’ to Lavender for me,” she replied with a wave then stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind her. She leaned against the tempered glass of the greenhouse wall and took a deep breath before heading back to the castle.

All the while, her mind was racing. 

_Scorpius applied to be an Unspeakable? But when?_

Rose thought back furiously over the last several months, not only during the time they’d been together but also before, when her attention to how, and with whom, Scorpius was spending his time had become so much more focused. And she recalled little things – how she’d rarely seen him just after returning from Christmas holidays, when she’d incorrectly assumed that it was because he and Lise DuBois were otherwise engaged. 

And all of those odd meetings he’d had with Professor Zabini and Professor Bhandari and… Rose took a deep breath as realization hit her and she remembered the two or three times that he’d gone to meet with Neville, the final one being the afternoon they’d been caught snogging by Auntie Ginny.

And the night only a few weeks ago, in the week before they left for Easter Break, when he’d owled her after curfew and begging her to sneak out and meet him down at the Quidditch Pitch. And when she’d arrived, he looked and sounded so downhearted as he’d held her tightly and she’d smelt Firewhisky on his breath. And more than once, while he’d lain with his head in her lap and she’d run her fingers through his hair as they spent most of the night curled up together in the stands, he’d thanked her for meeting him, insisting that he just needed to see her.

Clearly, Neville had unwittingly disclosed Scorpius’s application to and obvious rejection by the Department of Mysteries. But he’d also seemed genuinely surprised at her unawareness of it. And that led Rose to another tangent – _why hadn’t she known_?

Not once, either before Professor Zabini suggested it to her or after, had Scorpius bothered to tell her about his own desire to become an Unspeakable. Each of the times the two of them had discussed possible careers, he’d been very undecided, mentioning the same ones that she’d spoken to Neville about in fifth year or going into Wizarding investments with his dad or being an Auror like hers. At no time, however, had he said anything whatsoever about the Department of Mysteries.

Rose made her way back to the castle and up the stairs to the library without, thankfully, running into anyone. She waved distractedly at Madame Clarke then made her way to the back table – her table – and spread her books and parchments across it, sincerely trying to focus upon her recently neglected homework but failing miserably. Instead, her earlier thoughts and questions burned in her mind and, in reality, she was merely biding her time until Scorpius joined her for their Friday afternoon study session so that she could get to the bottom of it all.

Thankfully, he didn’t keep her waiting long, and her heart skipped several beats as she watched him appear from between the stacks and walk toward her no more than ten minutes later. 

“Got room for me?” he asked, pushing aside her Care of Magical Creatures textbook and several parchments before sitting down in the next chair facing her. He leaned in and gently kissed her. 

“You know I’ll always make room for you,” she replied, smiling against his lips.

“That’s good to know.” Scorpius grinned back then glanced over at the messy table, picking up the parchment directly before her. “What is it you’re working on?” he asked, holding up her parchment. “Isn’t this the essay due to Professor Grubbly-Plank next week? I would have thought you’d have finished this already.”

“I suppose I fell a bit behind doing my application.” Rose took it back from him and laid it upon the table then turned to toward him and smoothed his bangs back away from his forehead. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d done one yourself?” she asked softly.

She watched him carefully as his face blanched. “Er…how did you…Longbottom told you about that?” he asked quietly, his gaze dropping down to his lap, and Rose could tell he was not only upset but angry. 

“No. Well, not on purpose,” she assured him quickly, her eyes never leaving his face although he didn’t meet her gaze. “I was talking about how much you and Al helped me to get mine finished and how much support you gave me about doing it in the first place, and he just remarked that you must’ve been really helpful since you’d been through the process yourself. He seemed terribly upset when he saw that I didn’t already know about it.”

Scorpius didn’t respond but Rose couldn’t stop herself from continuing. “I also gathered, from his comment that he’d really like to see one of his students chosen, that your application was rejected. What happened? And why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t tell you because there was nothing to tell.” Scorpius sighed heavily as he raised his eyes to meet hers once again. “I put in an application and it wasn’t good enough.” He shrugged. “ _I_ wasn’t good enough,” he murmured quietly. “Didn’t have what they’re looking for.”

“Well that’s rubbish,” she said firmly. “You’re a talented wizard and a brilliant student and there’s no doubt that you’ll be Head Boy next year. Of course you’re good enough. You’re so much better than just good enough.”

Scorpius shook his head. “None of those things made a difference.”

“Well, what did they say?” she pressed. It was inconceivable to her that anyone wouldn’t find him the perfect applicant, and she was seriously doubting her chances if someone like Scorpius wasn’t good enough.

He paused, staring at her intently. “It’s not important what they said.”

“Yes it is,” she insisted. “If someone like you…”

Scorpius snorted sardonically. “Yeah, ‘someone like me.’ Seems that _being me_ is the problem.”

Rose quirked an eyebrow and eyed him uncertainly. “Why would _being you_ be a problem?”

He shook his head. “No reason. Just chalk it up to sour grapes on my part, alright? Really, it’s nothing. Forget I said anything and let it go.”

“No, I won’t let it go,” she said emphatically. “You’re not telling me something. I can tell.” Scorpius stared at her intently, his eyes pleading with hers not to pursue it, but Rose knew that it must be something big for him to be so reluctant, and she was determined to know what it was.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Don’t make me say it, Rose.”

“Please, Scorpius,” she implored, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. “ _Please_. Tell me.”

He opened his eyes slowly, not quite meeting her gaze. “Let’s just say I won’t be applying for any more Ministry positions since I have been assured that, based upon my family’s name, I have absolutely no chance whatsoever of being considered for one.”

“What makes you say that?” Rose asked incredulously. “And why the hell wouldn’t you be considered? Who would tell you such a daft thing?”

“Rose,” he started, pausing for a moment then meeting her gaze directly, “do you know who’s in charge of the Department of Mysteries?”

She gave him a puzzled look. “It’s Minister Shacklebolt himself, isn’t it?”

“He’s the ‘official’ head,” Scorpius replied. “But all correspondences to and from the Department of Mysteries as well as all recruitment and hiring decisions go through somewhere else.”

“Where?” she demanded, suddenly afraid of hearing the answer based upon his reluctance to tell her and the look of regret on his face.

“The Office of the Senior Undersecretary.”

Her eyes widened as the reality of the situation slammed into her. “Tell me he didn’t really say that to you.”

“Yeah,” he said sorrowfully. 

“I can’t believe…” Rose shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “How can anyone be so…Scorpius, I’m really sorry.”

Scorpius held her tightly. “I know. And like I said before, it isn’t important _what_ was said. What’s important is that the Ministry isn’t my only option.”

She clung to him, her mind still reeling from hearing that her Uncle Percy – _her family_ – was the reason he wasn’t even given a chance.

“Mother says she’ll get me a tryout with the Kites next spring. And I could always join Father.” He took a deep breath. “He’d be thrilled,” he added and Rose heard an edge to his voice.

“But you wouldn’t be,” she countered, pulling back and looking up at him. “And it was that night, wasn’t it? That night we spent out on the Quidditch Pitch? That was when you got the rejection, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, lifting her hand and brushing his lips against the back of it. “It came that day, but I didn’t read it until late that night, and I had to see you…had to know that at least one person didn’t feel the same…didn’t think I was worthless.”

Rose took hold of his collar and looked him dead in the eye. “I will _never_ feel the same.” She pressed her lips against his in an urgent kiss. “I love you,” she whispered fervently. “I think you’re worth _everything_.”

Their lips met again and without hesitation, she moved into his lap and wrapped her arms around him, leaving no space between their bodies. But even as she kissed him with abandon, she played over and over in her mind _every single word_ she was planning to say to her Uncle Percy when she saw him the following Tuesday.

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

** Chapter 18 **

“…and I’d like to thank Helmar Wintringham for coming on this evening and debuting The Brothers Grimm’s latest,” Lee Jordan’s familiar voice rang out from the wireless. “Based on the reaction of my producer, Catherine, and the twenty friends she’s squeezed into the booth with her today, it promises to be another smash.”

“Cheers, Lee,” Wintringham’s deep voice boomed from the wireless on the desk. “It’s always brilliant to bum with you, mate.”

Rose glanced at Camille, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, and the two of them giggled madly. _Anyone who was anyone_ tuned in to listen to Lee Jordan on “In Focus” on Sunday evenings, in part, just to see who he’d be interviewing. He always had a wide variety of guests from week to week, all of whom were kept secret until he introduced them on the show. But this week, they’d known in advance. _This_ particular guest had been much anticipated for several weeks now, ever since Fred had let it slip to Rose the news that Lee had scheduled Wintringham.

Lee’s distinctive laughter rang out “Try to keep that in mind the next time I try to score backstage passes, will you?”

“You got it,” Wintringham replied with a hearty chuckle. “I can also put in a word with my dad, if you’d like. Perhaps score some from him as well.”

“Set me up for both The Brothers Grimm _and_ The Weird Sisters?” Lee continued. “The wife might shag me for years if you managed that.”

Rose giggled loudly. “Oh, Alicia will murder him for that one.”

“Always a pleasure to help out a fellow in _that_ department. Never enough shagging in the world, as I always say.” Wintringham laughed boisterously, and Camille let out a squeal of delight and clapped excitedly, a silly look on her face as she bounced on her bed. Rose laughed out loud, and their roommate, Faith Stebbins, bit her lip and sighed happily, her face flushed.

Lee snickered. “Seems now’s the perfect time to cut to an advert as I envision the brilliance of such a prospect. But stick around for my next guest…another you won’t want to miss.” 

A jingle for Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes began playing, and Rose reached forward and turned down the volume slightly.

“Merlin, he is sexy!” Camille exclaimed. “And that was more than worth the wait all these weeks, don’t you think?”

Rose nodded. “Oh yeah,” she answered as she noticed the time, 8:43 p.m. She stood up and stretched, walking toward the loo. “I don’t think I could ever tire of hearing his voice.” 

“Or seeing him shake his bum in those tight leather trousers,” Faith added before she began singing. “Don’t let this magic die…The answer’s there…Oh, just look in her eyes.”

Rose stopped short just outside the doorway to their shared dormitory bathroom to watch Faith hold a hairbrush up to her lips and dance about the room, giving into more giggles as she leaned against the doorframe. 

“You know, The Brothers Grimm’s recording of that song is fabulous, although the original is still my favorite,” Camille said.

Faith nodded. “Yeah, I like it better, too.” She grinned and resumed her serenade. “And make your final move…Mmm, don’t be scared…She wants you to…It’s hard, you must be brave…Don’t let this moment slip away.”

Miriam snickered as she slid by Rose into the room, her hair piled atop her head, before sitting down in front of her vanity mirror and applying cold cream to her face. 

“Haven’t we had enough for one night?” Camille asked jokingly, tossing a pillow at Faith, then ducking when Faith tossed it back at her. “Now I’ll be singing that in my sleep.”

“But it’s The Weird Sisters,” Faith insisted. “How can you not love them?”

“Because they’re all older than _our parents_ ,” Miriam replied with a smirk and chuckle.

“So?” Faith asked. “The Weird Sisters are visionaries. True geniuses. Every group since them has tried to copy them, and rather unsuccessfully, I might add.”

Rose and Camille exchanged amused glances before dissolving into a gale of laughter.

“You sound so much like Simon,” Camille laughed. “He is _such_ a fan of theirs.”

“He is, isn’t he?” Rose agreed, continuing to giggle. “Remember when my dad took my mum to their reunion concert last year? He was so envious. He went on and on about it for weeks.”

“He nearly drove Mum and Dad mad with his guitar solos over Easter. Although I must admit he really is good.” Camille giggled. “Not that I’d ever tell him that.”

“I’m not at all surprised.” Rose grinned at Camille knowingly. “He played several times for me last year, and he improved each time.”

Miriam huffed, cutting her eyes from Faith to Camille before fixing her gaze upon Rose, who rolled her eyes. _Oh please. As if I even care that you’re dating him now_ , she thought as she returned the look defiantly before slipping in to use the loo. 

In actuality, Rose was relieved that Simon was finally going out with someone again, even if it was someone that she found particularly annoying. But he hadn’t really dated anyone since their split the previous year, and although she hadn’t initially believed him when Scorpius first suggested that Simon still harbored feelings for her, Rose began noticing little things that hadn’t meant anything before but seemed obvious in hindsight. She’d also started to feel a strain in her friendship with Simon in the preceding weeks, culminating in the anger she observed during their Potions lesson with the Amortentia and Stygeotentia, which bothered her tremendously. And although she had been unsure how to repair it, she’d done everything in her power to try and fix things between them, going out of her way not to do or say anything that might be misconstrued as flirty while at the same time, taking great effort not to so much as mention Scorpius unless it was absolutely necessary to do so.

But only a day or two after that Potions lesson, Rose and Scorpius practically ran into Simon and Miriam coming out of a broom cupboard, the two of them showing signs of heavy snogging. Simon had blushed profusely and not quite met her eye, although Rose noticed him grinning smugly at Scorpius, while Miriam had smiled full on at Rose, clutching tightly to Simon’s arm as she excused the two of them and led him quickly down the corridor toward Gryffindor Tower. 

Miriam had been in quite a good mood from that day on, and she’d been unusually friendly to Rose, other than the brief inquisition the following morning concerning the awkwardness of the situation, to which Rose had replied there wasn’t any on her end as she assured Miriam that she really only cared for Simon as a friend and wanted him to be happy. And strangely enough, at least in Rose’s opinion anyway, Simon seemed quite happy as well, even as Miriam made sure that everyone at Hogwarts was very well aware that she and Simon were together, going out of her way to snog him at every opportunity and in front of as many people as possible. Rose was also quite pleased that he’d seemed more like himself – his old self – and in fact, was even more friendly with Scorpius, joking around with him as if they were the best of mates.

“– hasn’t regaled you with his music yet?” Camille was not-at-all innocently asking Miriam as Rose returned. “Although I don’t suppose you’ve spent all that much time _talking_ , have you?”

Miriam glared at her through the mirror. “We’ve spent _ample_ time talking,” she retorted. “And I’ll have you know that he was going to play for me when we were in his room yesterday, but –”

“Stop!” Camille interjected, holding up her hand. “It’s one thing to know that you’re dating my brother and another to hear all the gory details about it.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to know _anything_ at all about you being in Simon’s room. _Ever_. That would be…too horrible.”

Faith chuckled awkwardly. “Eww. I wondered if it seemed strange for your roommate to be dating your brother. I mean, I can’t imagine anyone ever wanting to date my brother.”

“That’s because your brother is _twelve_ , not eighteen,” Rose retorted, and they all laughed. She felt the tension that had been building begin to dissipate. “You’ll be more objective about it in a few years.”

“Especially if your brother is as fit as Camille’s brother is,” Miriam offered with a dreamy smile.

Camille groaned, rolling her eyes. “Enough, alright? _She’s_ trying to dictate my soundtrack for the evening,” she nodded in Faith’s direction, “and _you’re_ trying to give me nightmares.”

Faith giggled as she turned to Rose. “C’mon Rose. Don’t you think it bizarre when girls find your brother fanciable?” 

Rose shrugged. “Not really. But Hugo’s had girlfriends since he was old enough to even speak to girls, much less before he realized there was much of a difference. And he’s always been terribly popular with girls since he’s been here, hasn’t he, so I haven’t had much alternative, have I?”

“True, that,” Camille laughed. “Same here.”

“Oi, it’s coming back on,” Faith said as she reached over and turned up the volume when the “In Focus” background music began playing. 

“And we’re back,” Lee resumed. “Although the first time appearing on “In Focus,” my next guest really needs no introduction to many of you.”

“Oh, maybe it’s Joseph Nefor,” Miriam whispered, waggling her eyebrows. “Or Zachary Sajon.”

Rose held up a finger in front of her lips. “Shh. Be quiet so we can hear who it is.”

“She is a long-time fixture in the Ministry of Magic and has served as the personal assistant to Minister Shacklebolt since his permanent appointment in 1998. I’m speaking, of course, of Genevieve Dawlish. Good evening, Ms. Dawlish.”

“Thank you, Lee, for that warm welcome,” replied a sickeningly sweet voice that Rose immediately recognized, and a feeling of annoyance rose within her. “It’s a pleasure to be invited onto your program and, of course, to follow such a talented young man as Mr. Wintringham. I assure you that many on our staff are quite envious of my current whereabouts.” 

Rose rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. She’d met Genevieve Dawlish at least a dozen or so times in her life, and each time, she had the distinct feeling of being sized up. She also knew her mother’s feelings about the Minister’s long-time assistant personally and about her general usefulness within the Ministry, and Rose reckoned that jaded her estimation as well. After all, in Rose’s opinion, there were few people who were better judges of character than Hermione Weasley, and if her mum didn’t particularly care for the woman, Rose knew there was a good reason why.

“So, Ms. Dawlish –”

“Please, it’s Genevieve.”

“Right,” Lee replied. “So, Genevieve, I understand there’s a Ministry function that you’d like to remind my listeners of. Something special on Tuesday, I believe?”

“Why yes, Lee,” she said, giving what Rose thought sounded like a well-practiced, too-polite laugh, “there is, although I seriously doubt anyone over the age of three is unaware of the significance of the second of May.” She cleared her throat daintily. “The Ministry is inviting everyone to attend the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the Battle of Hogwarts. Festivities will commence at noon on the grounds of Hogwarts between the memorial statue and Albus Dumbledore’s tomb, and this year, we are pleased to announce a very special guest – Harry Potter has agreed to make an appearance and is scheduled to speak at 1:00 p.m.”

“Isn’t it unusual for Harry Potter to appear publicly in connection with any of the Ministry’s public events, most notably, these Battle of Hogwarts commemoration ceremonies, despite the Minister’s repeated attempts to have him do so?” Lee prompted. “What do you suppose was the difference this time?” He laughed. “I must tell you, I have this vision of Minister Shacklebolt on his knees, begging Harry.”

Rose giggled at that image – of tall, bulky, Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt on his knees, pleading with her Uncle Harry to ‘Please attend the ceremony this year’ – and her roommates laughed as well.

Ms. Dawlish’s subtle laughter rang from the wireless. “You’re so witty, Lee,” she said in a tone that Rose could easily ascertain was not altogether amused. “We’re not concerned with _why_ he’s agreed but simply that he has. Although if I had to wager a guess, I’d say that with it being the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, Mr. Potter felt it was time to take credit for his role in our modern history.”

_Shows what you know_ , Rose thought condescendingly. _Uncle Harry doesn’t feel the need to ‘take credit’ for anything of the sort. He’d just as soon be unknown than figure so prominently in our ‘modern history.’_

“After all,” Ms. Dawlish continued, “were it not for him, our world would be a much different place, one in which we would not have the degree of acceptance between wizards and witches and all magical creatures. And that is precisely why we’re urging everyone who can personally attend to do so. It isn’t every day that Harry Potter speaks publicly about his experiences and it would be regretful to miss seeing him in person.”

“You are quite a convincing spokesperson for the Ministry, Genevieve. It’s no wonder the Minister often refers to you as his ‘right hand.’ That’s high praise, indeed.”

Ms. Dawlish once again offered her too-polite laugh. “The Minister is too kind and much too modest as to his achievements since taking office. I daresay he is the most productive and finest Minister for Magic ever to have held the post.”

Faith arched an eyebrow questioningly. “Quite the flatterer, isn’t she?” she commented, and the others chuckled sardonically in agreement.

“I know he’s a regular listener and I’m sure he appreciates your sentiments a great deal,” Lee replied. “Perhaps he’d even confirm all those rumors that you were quite instrumentally involved in many of the sweeping changes taking place in the Ministry over the past several years.”

“You’re being awfully cheeky,” Ms. Dawlish tutted. “Minister Shacklebolt is more than deserving of the praise and accolades he’s received all these years. Never before has there been a Minister for Magic who was so accessible to the general public. He is well-liked and well-respected by his peers as well as his subordinates.”

“You don’t have to convince me, Genevieve,” Lee interjected. “I’ve known the Minister for a long time – consider him a good mate – and I’ll certainly agree that he has been an effective and approachable Minister. There’s no question that the Ministry has been running smoothly for more than twenty years under his leadership.”

“That it has,” Ms. Dawlish agreed proudly.

“That being said, word has it that he’s tiring of his position and thinking of stepping down. Any truth there?”

“Oh, Lee,” Ms. Dawlish replied, once again employing that fake laughter. “Shame on you. You should know better than to listen to such gossip. Whom have you been speaking with, Marietta Higgs? She’s almost as reliable as Rita Skeeter was.”

Lee laughed as well, although Rose thought she heard an edge to it, and she glanced across the room at Camille, who smirked and said, “Ooh, it’s about to get good now.” 

“Now, Genevieve,” Lee responded, a tinge of sarcasm teasing in his voice. “You should know that I have more reliable sources than Marietta Higgs.”

“Who do you think they are?” Miriam asked quietly, although none of them responded. Rose had an idea who at least a couple of Lee Jordan’s ‘sources’ might be. He and her Uncle George were the best of friends, so she was sure that some of Lee’s ‘information’ came directly from him and her Auntie Katie. They always seemed to be in the know about things before anyone else, a fact that Rose’s dad attributed to being surrounded all day long by people letting their guards down when they visited Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes – a relaxing, non-threatening environment – and incorrectly assuming that they couldn’t be overheard when conversing.

Lee continued. “And in addition to the news that the Minister is seriously considering stepping down, I’ve also heard talk that he has hand-picked Harry Potter to be his successor, that he’s using every opportunity to pressure him into accepting, and _that_ is the primary reason the Ministry is promoting Tuesday’s celebration so vigorously.”

There was a pregnant pause before Ms. Dawlish replied in a decidedly terse voice. “Tuesday marks the twenty-fifth commemoration of the defeat of The Dark Lord. Mr. Potter is personally responsible for that event, and the Ministry simply wants him to be present for the celebration and say a few words. There is nothing more to the Minister’s motivations for wanting Mr. Potter there.”

“Hit a nerve there, wouldn’t you say?” Camille remarked, and Rose nodded. She was particularly interested in this line of questioning, considering it was her uncle they were speaking about possibly being touted as the next Minister for Magic. 

“So you’re denying that the Ministry’s primary reason for having Harry Potter there to speak to what promises to be the largest crowd to attend since the first ceremony in 1999, is to strengthen its image and bring more people? That the Ministry isn’t still trying to display Harry as its poster boy and, potentially, its next Minister?”

“He’s _fantastic_ , isn’t he?” Faith whispered. “I adore how he takes them to task, asks the probing questions.”

“Of course that isn’t the primary reason for having Mr. Potter present at the ceremony,” Ms. Dawlish answered tetchily. “As I stated before, this is the twenty-fifth anniversary of a very significant event in our history and who better to commemorate the event than the man responsible for vanquishing the Dark Lord?”

Lee pressed on. “But hasn’t he repeatedly refused because of his insistence that he wasn’t alone in that victory, because so many others fought with him that night, many of whom gave their lives?”

Rose heard Ms. Dawlish’s breath catch. “Many of us lost loved ones during the Battle,” she replied quietly, “myself included. And the Ministry has always honored the fallen. If you’ll recall, it was the Ministry – under the direction of Minister Shacklebolt – that erected the memorial statue.” She paused and when she resumed, Rose thought she sounded less emotional, more in control and business-like. “But however many were lost, Mr. Potter’s victory is also a cause for great celebration, and _that_ is our intention. Nothing more.”

There was a momentary silence, coming from both the wireless and in Rose’s dorm room.

“I remember what things were like before, and believe me, I respect everything that the Minister has accomplished all these years,” Lee continued. “I merely question the campaign to set up Harry Potter as the next Minister for Magic. I daresay Undersecretary Percy Weasley might have a word or two to say about that.”

Without meaning to, Rose scowled slightly at the mention of her Uncle Percy.

Ms. Dawlish let out a deep, somewhat frustrated sounding breath. “Please allow me repeat myself. Minister Shacklebolt is not currently considering stepping down from his position as Minister for Magic, and the Ministry is not employing some ridiculous scheme to ordain Harry Potter as his successor, especially at the expense of Undersecretary Weasley. He and Minister Shacklebolt have worked hard together to foster an environment of equality, where people are judged by his or her own achievements and not by blood or birthright.”

“And that impassioned sentiment is my cue to wind up,” Lee responded. “Thank you to tonight’s guests, Helmar Wintringham and Genevieve Dawlish. I invite you all to tune in next week for two more exciting guests – once again, I assure you will not be disappointed. For ‘In Focus,’ I’m Lee Jordan. G’night.”

_What a load of bunk_ , Rose thought angrily as the sounds of classical music filled the room, and she was tempted to flip the wireless off in disgust. She was seething inside. Naturally, the Minister’s office would spew such propaganda in order to keep its image impeccable rather than to expose its hypocrisy. _Yet another reason to resent the Ministry_. She couldn’t fathom how that woman could drone on and on about equality and looking at one’s own achievements when Rose’s very own boyfriend had been discriminated against by the Ministry simply because of his family’s name.

When she’d first heard of Scorpius’s rejection two nights before, her initial reaction was to immediately Floo call her Uncle Percy and give him a piece of her mind. But during the time she spent snogging Scorpius in the library and eating dinner amid her cousins and snogging Scorpius once again for some time after dinner, she’d calmed down considerably. And quite possibly for the first time in her life, Rose really considered the consequences of flying off the handle at not only a member of her family but also the person responsible for processing her own application to the Department of Mysteries, and as indignant as she was on Scorpius’s behalf, she’d also appreciated his ardent pleas with her not to do anything that might jeopardize her application and taken them to heart.

By the time she made her way up to Gryffindor Tower, Rose had decided that before she confronted her Uncle Percy about his double standards and betrayal, she wanted to talk to her parents first, to tell them all about it and obtain their support for her outrage. Three hours and several lengths of parchment later, Rose had spilled out everything – her application for the Unspeakables and Scorpius’s, her anger at his rejection solely because of his family’s name, her disgust at the obvious prejudice that her Uncle Percy was promulgating – but as she’d done many times before, upon re-reading her letter to her parents, she changed her mind, deciding not only that it disclosed too much information and they’d realize that Rose had begun thinking of her future as intertwined with his, but that these issues with Uncle Percy were too serious to express in a letter and needed to be addressed in person. So she’d owled them a short note instead, telling them that she needed to talk to them about something important and asking if they’d come early on Tuesday morning, before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. Not surprisingly, she’d received the standard reply from her mum that they would be there and were anxious to hear whatever news she wanted to discuss with them.

“Well that was…intense,” Camille said, getting up from her bed and opening her trunk. She looked up at Rose. “D’you think any of that’s true about your uncles?”

Rose shrugged and shook her head. “I really dunno. Could be, I suppose. I’ll have to ask Al.” She glanced down at her watch. “Damn it. If I don’t get going, I’m going to be late.”

“Time for Sunday night patrols, is it?” Miriam asked with a knowing smirk. “I suppose we won’t see you anytime before midnight then, shall we?”

“Well, considering patrols don’t even end until midnight,” Rose replied, rolling her eyes, starting for the door. 

She grasped the handle but stopped when Miriam giggled. “Say hello to Scorpius for us, won’t you?” 

“Don’t worry. I will,” Rose answered, winking cheekily before walking out and pulling the door closed behind her.

* * * *

“Tell me you will,” Scorpius insisted. “You know you want to.”

Rose giggled. “No, I don’t,” she whispered, her eyes gazing deeply into his.

“Are you certain?” he asked, his face moving ever closer to hers.

“Hmm hmm.” Rose closed her eyes as Scorpius found that most sensitive spot just below her ear and pressed an open-mouthed kiss against it.

“Entirely certain?” he asked against her neck as his hands moved up the back of her shirt, his fingers trailing up her spine.

She nodded slightly. “Yes.” She struggled not to moan when his fingers slid along the outline of her bra, his thumbs slowly brushing over her sensitive breasts. Rose knew that she was fighting a losing battle but she was determined to give it her all nevertheless.

He pulled back, chuckling as he met her eye again. “So damned stubborn, aren’t you?”

“I am,” she replied, a smug grin on her lips. “But you love me anyway.”

He arched an eyebrow and gave her a smirk of his own. “I could play dirty, you know.”

“Oh really?” she asked teasingly. “And just what do you have in mind?”

“I dunno. I could think of something. Maybe leave a love bite or two on your neck.” Rose squirmed when his lips and tongue returned to her neck.

“Too bad I know the spell for removing them. Having all those older cousins has its advantages, you know.” Rose giggled as she ran her fingers through his hair, gently urging him to continue what he was doing. “But you’re not the only one who can play dirty. If you try it, perhaps I’ll just leave them and make you face the entirety of my family, knowing that you were the one responsible for putting them there.”

Rose startled when Scorpius stopped his delicious torture of her neck. “About that,” he began, his gaze locked on hers, “don’t be angry, but I don’t think I can spend the entire day with you.”

“Why not?” she asked nervously, terribly afraid that he was going to say her Uncle Percy was the cause of his change of heart. “I thought you were going to spend time with my family and then I’d spend time with yours –”

“Grandmother’s decided to attend,” he interrupted. “She owled me earlier today and asked if I’d escort her.” He shrugged. “She’s never come to any of the commemoration ceremonies. I couldn’t possibly tell her no when she wants to come to this one.”

“Oh no, you couldn’t,” Rose agreed, holding his left hand between hers and stroking his fingers lovingly before lifting it to her lips and kissing his palm. Her heart swelled at his kindness and care for his family; his loyalty was just another thing that she loved so much about him. “You have to do that for her.” 

She paused, biting her lip as she weighed whether or not to ask what she wanted to, before whispering, “Is _he_ coming, too?” She couldn’t bring herself to refer to Scorpius’s grandfather more directly and she was slightly afraid of the answer, quite sure that she couldn’t endure Lucius Malfoy being there at all, much less planning to spend any sort of significant time in his presence.

“No,” he said ardently. “Grandfather would _never_ attend any ceremony that reminded him that he picked the losing side.” A pained expression crossed his face, and Scorpius looked down at their intertwined hands. “Grandmother’s not as bad as…I mean, she doesn’t judge quite as severely as Grandfather, but she’s still very set in her beliefs and –”

Rose leaned forward and kissed his lips gently. “So we won’t spend the entire day together,” she said, hoping that her disappointment wasn’t evident in her forced enthusiasm. “It’s okay. You need to be there with your family, Scorpius. Spend this time with your grandmother. I understand. Really, I do, and I love you for it,” she assured him when he looked at her doubtfully. 

“Are you sure? Because we had plans and all,” he continued, regret evident in his voice.

“Yeah, but plans sometimes change,” she said, her rueful smile changing to a more playful one. “I don’t suppose you’re simply trying to avoid being introduced to the rest of my family, are you?”

“No, of course not,” Scorpius promised, shaking his head emphatically. “I want to. I just…I don’t think it’s going to be Tuesday, alright?” 

She nodded. “Really, it’s okay,” she assured him, and he pulled her into a tight embrace. 

“I love you,” he declared fervently between kisses. “Thank you for understanding the spot this puts me in.”

Rose smiled, deciding that the time for serious discussion at this particular moment was over. She completely understood the position he was in, caught between his feelings for her and his love and loyalty to his family. She had long ago realized that things would never be simple with Scorpius where their families were concerned. There was too much history and too many differing beliefs for it to be otherwise. But at the same time, she had no doubt that he was worth it and being simple really was overrated. 

She fisted his shirt and leaned back against the stone wall in the trophy room, pulling him against her. “And what about this spot you’ve put me in?” she asked seductively, arching her back when their bodies met.

“I’ve put you in?” he teased, pressing his lower body firmly against hers.

“Perhaps it was me after all,” she replied. “Will you forgive me? If I promise to make it up to you?” She hooked her leg around his calf in an attempt to bring him even closer to her and whispered into his ear. “As soon as patrols are over, that is.”

Scorpius groaned. “Merlin, Rose. There’s only an hour left, and we haven’t seen anyone out tonight since O.W.L.s start in the morning. Tell me you’ll skive off and come with me to the Room of Requirement. It’s been more than a week. I _need_ to be alone with you.”

She’d already decided that when he asked again she’d say ‘yes.’ Between preparing her application and the whole castle being involved in preparations for O.W.L.s and the upcoming commemoration ceremony, it had been nine days, to be exact, since they’d even had the opportunity to do anything more than a quick snog here or there. And Rose understood entirely what Scorpius meant by ‘needing to be alone’ because she felt it too.

“Yes,” she said simply, pulling him roughly to her and kissing him with abandon. And before she knew it, she’d lost herself completely in him, not particularly concerned when he slid her shirt over her shoulders and down her arms or when she slipped her hands inside his trousers, and it became quite obvious that they would not be making it out of the trophy room to the Room of Requirement that night.

* * * *

Rose woke early the next morning. She wasn’t sure why, considering it had been nearly 1:00 a.m. when she’d finally slipped back into her dormitory – a smile on her lips and Scorpius’s touch burnt into her skin – especially when she didn’t even have class until 9:00 a.m. and had such lovely memories to recall. But try as she might, she couldn’t go back to sleep so she got out of bed, she dressed quietly, so as not to wake any of her roommates, and made her way down to the Great Hall. Not surprisingly, she was one of only a handful of students having breakfast so early, and she judging by the looks of sheer terror and sleeplessness on their faces, Rose figured the majority of them were fifth years who were beginning their O.W.L.s that morning.

She offered an encouraging smile to a couple of Ravenclaws who were studying at the next table, before pulling out a novel penned by one of her favorite authors, Henrietta Fabionce. She certainly felt for the fifth years, remembering how difficult O.W.L.s had been for her the previous year, although they were nowhere near as grueling as N.E.W.T.s would be the following year. But if a student didn’t do well in the O.W.L.s, several classes in sixth and seventh years were precluded, and a whole career path could be ruined. Fleetingly, she wondered which O.W.L. exams were scheduled for today.

Students began filtering in around her as she read, losing herself in romance set amidst the intrigue of Cairo, its history and many secrets among the tombs, not noticing when Al slipped onto the bench beside her until he nudged her and laughed.

“Morning, Rosie. Whatcha reading?”

She blushed, quickly closing her book and lying it face down on the table at her other side, hoping that he hadn’t seen the cover. Al took great pleasure in teasing her mercilessly about her choice of ‘recreational’ reading material, taking the piss any time he caught her reading Fabionce. “Oh, nothing much.”

“I still can’t believe you read that,” Al said, shaking his head. “It’s total crap. What would Auntie Hermione say if she knew you read such trash?”

Rose was prepared to retort that she’d, in fact, nabbed that particular novel from her mum over Easter Break before launching into all the reasons why he was wrong but all she managed was, “Goes to show what you know,” before she stopped herself suddenly, catching a glimpse of quite possibly the last two people she’d expected to enter the Great Hall.

_Well, I guess I know which O.W.L. exam is being administered this morning_ , she thought.

“Um, Al?”

“Yeah?”

“Which O.W.L. is today, d’you know?”

He sniggered. “Not bloody likely. Why? Our O.W.L. days are over.”

“Just wondering,” she shrugged, smiling. “Al?”

“What?” he asked slightly irritably, looking up at her.

Rose nodded toward the door. “Our dads are here.”

Al stood up and exclaimed, “Dad!” waving them over, and as her dad and Uncle Harry crossed the Hall and came their way, Rose figured that perhaps her day just got much more interesting.


	19. Chapter 19

** Chapter 19 **

“Blimey! It’s really him! It’s Harry Potter!”

“Oi, you’re right. What d’you suppose he’s doing here?”

“You don’t suppose _he’s_ giving our O.W.L., do you?”

Rose glanced over first at the two boys seated just down the table, most likely first years judging by the looks of them, and then at the group of Ravenclaws clustered together at the next table with books and parchment spread out in front of them, obviously fifth years preparing for O.W.L.s. All twelve eyes were staring in awe at Uncle Harry as he and her dad crossed the Great Hall toward the Gryffindor table where Rose and Al sat, and she raised her eyebrows, exchanging an amused look with Al as they listened to the boys’ conversations.

“Sod it all!” bemoaned a dark-haired Ravenclaw that Rose didn’t recognize. “I’m buggered if I have to produce a Patronus for him.”

“Who cares _why_ he’s here. Do you think he’d autograph this for me if I asked him to?” one of the younger boys wondered excitedly, holding up a Chocolate Frog card for the other to examine, and Al unsuccessfully stifled a snicker behind his fist.

Rose nudged him, giggling and attempting not to laugh herself. “Stop it, Al. I think it’s cute.”

“Cute, my arse,” he chuckled as he stood, turning from Rose to grin at Uncle Harry as he neared. Rose followed suit, noticing as she stood that her dad had stopped between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables and was talking animatedly with Neville. She was only slightly alarmed when she saw her dad look toward the Slytherins and a bit more when they both glanced her way, but she dismissed it almost immediately, knowing that if there was any teacher at Hogwarts she could trust, it was Neville Longbottom.

“Oi Dad!” Al called out, smiling widely at his dad as he neared. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming today?” 

“And spoil the surprise?” Uncle Harry retorted as he gripped Al lovingly around the shoulder before catching Rose’s eye. “Hi, Rose,” he offered, smiling at her returned greeting. He glanced over to the Hufflepuff table then back at Al. “Has your sister already come down this morning?”

“Dunno. Don’t suppose so.” Al glanced over at the Hufflepuffs as well. “Why?”

Uncle Harry held up a small brown package that Rose hadn’t even noticed he was holding. “Your Mum sent her something.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know, Al.” Uncle Harry sounded slightly exasperated. “I didn’t ask.”

“Well, we don’t usually see her in the mornings, so…” Al said with a shrug. “Anyway,” he continued, “back to the matter at hand – why didn’t you owl and tell any of us that the Defense O.W.L. was today?”

“Sorry, son, but your mum was worried that James might let it slip to Fred.”

“ _James_ might let it slip? Why only James?” Al lamented jokingly. “Why is it that no one ever suspects _I’d_ do such a thing?”

“Because _you_ are the _good_ Potter son,” James interjected as he came up behind Al and, to his brother’s consternation, ran his hand up through the back of Al’s hair, making it stand even more on end. James turned to Uncle Harry and slung an arm around his shoulders. “Hiya, Dad. Long time no see. Here to give the kiddies a good workover?”

Uncle Harry laughed, just as much, Rose believed, at Al’s fruitless attempts to tame his hair and his noticeable annoyance at his brother as he did at James’s comment. “Good morning to you, too.” Uncle Harry shook his head and grinned affectionately at James. “You know your mum would murder you if she saw you eating that before breakfast,” he said, gesturing to the fistful of licorice wands in James’s left hand.

“What? _This_?” James asked, an exaggerated look of shock on his face as he took a large bite at the end of several of them. “This _is_ breakfast.” He grabbed a banana from the table and waggled his eyebrows, nodding in the direction of the doors. “I’ve gotta run. A bunch of us are going for a fly before class.” He smirked at Rose. “Want to skive off yours and join us?” He glanced at Al. “I would ask you, but I _know_ you don’t.”

“Don’t. Won’t. Can’t,” Al replied categorically. “Wouldn’t even if I _didn’t_ have a class.”

“Same for me,” Rose agreed as she shook her head. “And don’t even bother asking Simon or Scorpius, either; they’ve got class at nine as well.”

“Your loss.” James shrugged. He turned back to Uncle Harry, who was watching them, his arms crossed over his chest, trying for a stern look but unsuccessfully hiding his obvious amusement.

“Skive off class?”

James waved his hand dismissively. “No worries, there. I knew they’d say no.” 

“And are you skiving off class?” Uncle Harry asked pointedly.

“Don’t have to,” James replied, smugly smirking at Rose and Al. “ _I_ don’t have class at nine.” He turned back and grinned at his father mischievously. “See you tomorrow, Dad. Or should I say ‘Minister’?” he added before turning and nearly sprinting back the way he came, passing Rose’s dad as he did, joining a cluster of boys waiting at the entranceway and still laughing as he left.

Uncle Harry sighed in resignation. “That damned interview,” he mumbled with a groan. “When I get my hands on Lee Jordan…” he shook his head absently, only half-heartedly retaliating when Rose’s dad elbowed him in the side.

“C’mon, Harry. Everyone knows how much you _crave_ the limelight,” he ribbed, brushing past Uncle Harry. “Admit it. You set that whole thing up, didn’t you? You’re dying to be the Ministry’s poster boy after all these years, aren’t you?” He winked first at Rose, then at Al, a wide smile on his face. “G’morning, Al,” he said, clapping Al’s arm in affection before pulling Rose into a tight embrace that lifted her off her feet and caused her to giggle. “And how’s my best girl this morning?” her dad asked good-humoredly.

“I suspect you’d know better than I would how Mum is this morning,” she quipped without even thinking about it, already feeling quite cheeky having previously dealt with Al and James. Her dad chuckled loudly, lowering her back to the ground. He grabbed an untouched piece of toast from her plate and stepped back next to Uncle Harry, who was laughing jovially with Al.

“Aw, Dad. It’s hilarious. I can’t believe he really said it. And he sure gave that Dawlish woman the where of. What’d Mum think of it all?”

“You know Hermione thinks it’s a truly brilliant idea,” Rose’s dad interjected. 

“Yes, _she would_.” Uncle Harry rolled his eyes and sniggered to her dad before turning back to Al and Rose. “As for your mum, Al, you know her,” Uncle Harry answered. “She thinks it’s a load of bunk. And rightfully so.”

“I’m sure she does,” Al laughed. “Although I expect that little interview might’ve served its purpose after all. You know, getting people to come tomorrow.” Al gestured toward the young boys they’d overheard earlier. “You’re currently being worshiped and adored just down there.” Rose looked over her shoulder; the boys were watching the four of them with a great deal of interest, still wearing awestruck, excited looks. “Rosie and I overheard one of them trying to work up the courage and ask you to autograph his Chocolate Frog card.”

Her dad snorted, trying unsuccessfully to mask it as a cough, prompting both Al and Rose to reflexively guffaw as well. Only Uncle Harry refrained, although he couldn’t completely hide the smile gracing his lips.

“Er…sorry, Harry,” her dad apologized, still attempting to stifle his laughter, “but that’s bloody brilliant.”

“I really miss the days when you craved the limelight,” Uncle Harry deadpanned, and her dad grinned before popping the last bite of Rose’s toast into his mouth.

Uncle Harry looked around again at the Hufflepuff table. “As much as I hate to cut short all this hilarity, I promised Ginny I’d deliver this,” he held up the package he’d been holding, “to Lily before I got caught up in O.W.L.s this morning.” 

“Hold up, Dad. I’ll come with you,” Al said, gathering up his books before downing his glass of pumpkin juice in only a few gulps. 

“All right. Ready then?” Uncle Harry asked, and Al nodded as his dad leaned to his left and looked around to Rose. “See you tomorrow.” Rose nodded, and Uncle Harry turned to her dad, “And I’ll see you back here by nine.”

“I’ll be here,” he said, popping a few grapes into his mouth and taking a seat on the bench. Rose watched with mirthful delight when the young Gryffindor boy timidly approached Uncle Harry as he was leaving, noting the absolutely priceless look on Al’s face and feeling slightly sorry for her uncle, knowing the piss he’d have to endure from Al and James after Al told his brother about it as well. And she absolutely refused to look at her dad when she overheard the boy finally ask for the autograph and Uncle Harry comply, finding it difficult enough to bite back another fit of laughter without also seeing her dad red in the face, unsuccessfully doing the same thing. 

She finally looked around at him when they’d both regained control and he cleared his throat. “Speaking of siblings, where’s yours?”

“Still in bed, I expect. I don’t think he has class until later, and I suspect Fred’s kept him up much of the night with last minute studying,” Rose replied knowingly; as much as Fred liked to act as though he didn’t care about his O.W.L.s, she knew better, understanding that he’d never hear the end of it from Eryn and Lora if he didn’t at least do as well as they had in their exams.

“I’ll catch him at lunch then.” He poured himself a mug of coffee as he flipped over the book lying on the table and shook his head. “You and your mum and those books,” he chuckled, mixed with a sigh of resignation. “Susan’s been trying to convince her to read some new vampire series next…says the main bloke is ‘sparkly’ or ‘dazzling’ or something. I reckon if she likes them, she’ll send them along to you when she’s finished.”

Rose nodded as she grabbed the Fabionce book from her dad and tossed it into her bag, recalling a group of Hufflepuffs raving about them recently. “So are you going to wait around here?” she asked, packing the remainder of her things and an apple for later into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

He swallowed the gulp of coffee he’d taken. “I thought I would. Why? Have you got a class?”

“Yeah, at nine,” she answered. “I’ve got to stop by the dorm first, though. I forgot my History of Magic homework, and I won’t have time between classes to run back up.”

“In that case, maybe I’ll go up and wake Hugo after all.” He pushed back from the table, taking another large gulp of coffee and pocketing an apple for himself. “Which class is at nine?” he asked.

“Divination.” Rose led the way, with her dad just a step behind her. She couldn’t help smiling somewhat smugly, noticing that while there wasn’t the same sort of commotion as when Uncle Harry was around, there were still a lot of students watching her dad with a great deal of interest and whispering and pointing, and she was filled with pride for him.

“First thing?” her dad groaned. “Merlin, that one’s useless. Does Trelawney still predict someone will die a horrific death during the first class?”

“Yeah,” Rose giggled. “She predicted it would be Al, but since then, she’s developed quite a fondness for him so she only sees _happy things_ in his future now.”

“Figures,” her dad chuckled. “As I recall, she was fairly fond of Harry, too,” he added, waggling his eyebrows. “Like father, like son.”

“Yeah, she is fairly obvious about it all –” She stopped and her breath caught in her throat just as she stepped into the entry way; Scorpius was racing up the stairwell from the dungeons, flanked by Rory and Trenton Sutherby. He stopped short, a look of uneasy surprise washing over his face when he saw them, then turned and murmured something to his friends. Rory and Trenton continued on into the Great Hall, nodding and muttering ‘hello’ to Rose and her dad as Scorpius walked up to them. 

“Hi, Rose.”

“Hi,” she said quietly, reaching out and squeezing his hand gently, smiling when he squeezed hers back, a questioning look in his gaze. She could sense his apprehension, could almost read his mind, wondering why her dad was even there. Rose knew how badly Scorpius wanted her dad to like him because it was almost – but not quite, she was certain – as much as she did herself. 

He tentatively extended his hand to her dad, smiling nervously. “Good morning, Mr. Weasley.”

“Scorpius,” her dad replied, shaking his hand without hesitation, although Rose could sense an air of tension surrounding them that hadn’t been there previously.

“It’s nice to see you, sir. I hope you’re well,” he glanced at Rose, “and that everything is all right.”

“Don’t mind me,” her dad laughed, and Rose looked around at him in pleased appreciation. “I’m only here to darken the day of some fifth years.” 

“Dad and Uncle Harry are here to administer the Defense O.W.L.,” Rose explained. “And you should’ve seen the commotion in the Hall when they got here…all the younger kids stared and pointed, and Uncle Harry got asked for an autograph, and this group of Ravenclaws looked as if they might faint.”

Scorpius nodded and chuckled quietly. “I remember Bernie was so nervous about messing up his examination with you, Mr. Weasley. And I’ll admit, it _was_ a bit discerning having to complete my practical for Mr. Potter last year.”

“Yeah, Harry has a way of doing that to people,” her dad retorted lightheartedly.

Rose glanced at Scorpius. “You’re rather late, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he looked from her dad back to Rose and back to him once again, “and I don’t intend to seem rude, but I overslept,” he began apologetically, and Rose felt a blush creep over her cheeks, wondering if she had been at least a part of the reason why he’d overslept, “and I have class at nine o’clock, so if you’ll excuse me…” He gestured to the Great Hall behind them.

Rose’s dad chuckled good-naturedly and replied, “By all means. Never let it be said that Ron Weasley stands between a man and his breakfast.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Scorpius answered, returning her dad’s pleasantries with a genuine smile when he once again shook her dad’s hand, glancing at Rose as he did. “I’ll see you in class.”

She nodded, her eyes following him as he entered the Great Hall. She turned back around to find her dad watching her carefully, an almost bittersweet look in his eyes, and Rose couldn’t resist standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek once more, softly whispering “You’re the best, Dad.” 

“What?” he said in mock confusion, a wry smile on his lips. “Breakfast is a serious matter.” He started up the stairs, and she followed, accepting his challenge when he smirked and passed by her with a “Race you” just before they reached the second floor, and taunting him as she waited for him at the top of the last staircase.

* * * *

“I suspect you’ve scarred that Turlson kid for life.” 

Her dad’s laughter rang throughout the Gryffindor Common Room as she reappeared from the girls’ dormitory, and Rose shuddered at the memory of just a few moments before, when the two of them had burst into Hugo’s room and awakened not only him but also his three roommates, one of whom slept starkers without covers. That discovery of her brother’s fourteen year old mate lying spread-eagle on his back across his bed with what she’d heard Hugo and her male cousins crudely refer to as ‘morning wood’ was not at all something she’d expected or ever wanted to see again.

“It was rather shocking, wasn’t it?” she agreed, fighting back giggles. “That’s the last time I ever set foot in Hugo’s room again.”

He plopped down on the couch in front of the fireplace and stretched out his legs. “Don’t expect you’ll hear arguments from any of them.”

“On my end, either,” Rose quipped. “So is he on his way down or did he tell you to sod off … in a respectful way, of course?”

“He said to give him ten minutes, tops. Can you wait or do you need to go on?”

“I can wait a few more minutes.” She walked to the window, looking out over the grounds. “It looks like rain. I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.”

“It won’t matter if it does. It’ll still be standing room only, I expect.” He cleared his throat. “So your mum tells me that Scorpius will be accompanying you at tomorrow’s ceremony.”

Rose grinned to herself before turning around to face him; she felt a great deal of appreciation for how he really seemed to be making an effort to accept her relationship with Scorpius. “I don’t expect Scorpius to be joining us for more than a few minutes, actually. His grandmother’s decided to come, and he’s going to attend it with her. Although he’s going to try and catch up with me at some point because I really want to introduce him to Gran and Granddad.”

“So Narcissa’s coming?” her dad replied, surprise evident in his voice. “Harry didn’t think she’d show.”

“What does Uncle Harry have to –”

“He invited her personally.” Her dad shrugged. “Thought she should be here.”

Her mum’s emotional revelation that Narcissa Malfoy had lied about Uncle Harry being dead, allowing him to escape and later defeat Voldemort, sprang to Rose’s mind, and she could still hear the pride and admiration in Scorpius’s voice when he talked about it as well. Rose felt a rush of gratitude for Uncle Harry’s kindness surging through her.

“That’s really nice,” she said quietly then paused, biting her lip before starting again. “Um, Dad?” 

“Yeah, Rosie?” 

“I know you were joking around before, but…is it true…about Uncle Harry, I mean? What Lee said about him on his show last night?”

Her dad looked at her intently for a moment, and Rose could see him weighing exactly how he wanted to answer.

“We don’t know whether it’s true or not, but there are rumblings around the Ministry that perhaps it’s time for Kingsley to step down, that it’s time to bring in someone new. And Harry will always be mentioned anytime a position of power opens up at the Ministry.”

“Why would Mrs. Dawlish lie about it then? Why deny the rumour, if it’s true?”

“Genevieve is very loyal to Kingsley, and I reckon she doesn’t want anyone to know that he has his detractors. The thing is, Kingsley’s always had his detractors. No matter how well-liked he is, there have always been those who thought that he was still too much of an Auror. Besides, without Kingsley, she probably knows she’d be out. None of the rest of us would put up with her.”

Rose certainly understood that…there was simply _something_ about the woman that rubbed Rose the wrong way.

“Why does he then, if she’s so awful?”

“Her husband was an Auror and got killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. I suppose, at the time, Kingsley felt for her and brought her on as his assistant, and she’s been with him ever since.” He flashed a mischievous smile and leaned in a bit. “Your mum thinks she’s in love with him. Genevieve, I mean.”

Rose’s eyes grew wide and she couldn’t help giggling. “Really?” She made a mental note to drill her mum in earnest about Genevieve Dawlish sometime when she had the chance. “Well, you and Mum have always talked about what a fine job Minister Shacklebolt has done, but twenty-five years _is_ an awfully long time,” Rose said thoughtfully. “And Uncle Harry would be an obvious choice, although…I never really imagined him wanting to be Minister for Magic.”

“Harry doesn’t want to be Minister for Magic. And he’d be piss poor at it, for that matter,” her dad added with a chuckle, shaking his head. “No, Harry’d much rather stick with chasing dark wizards and leave the other to someone a bit more poncy. Someone like Percy.”

At the mention of Uncle Percy, Rose turned and looked out the window again, rolling her eyes and scowling slightly as she stared at the darkening clouds looming over the grounds. _Yeah, that’s who we want as our next Minister,_ she thought angrily. _A Minister for Magic who discriminates against the most qualified people based simply upon the politics of their ancestors._

Aloud, she managed to be more magnanimous. “I suppose he has been aspiring to that post his whole life, hasn’t he? At least that’s what Alexander and Paul have always said.”

“Pretty much,” her dad agreed.

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the window frame, weighing whether or not to go ahead and broach the subject of Uncle Percy’s letter to Scorpius with just her dad. On the one hand, she’d really wanted to talk to both her parents about it all – in large part because she could read her mother like a book and knew when she was close to taking things too far with her and because she was sure that Mum, being the champion of the persecuted as she was, would join in Rose’s outrage at Scorpius’s having been discriminated against. But on the other hand, she thought, perhaps it would be better to start with Dad since he might have a better insight into why Uncle Percy was such a bloody git than Mum would, seeing as they were brothers after all.

“So,” her dad prompted, interrupting her thoughts, “what about this big secret you’re keeping from us?”

She spun around, a look of confusion on her face. “What makes you say that? I’m not keeping any secrets.”

“No? I think you are,” he argued, arching an eyebrow at her. “Remember your owl, Rosie? You said you needed to talk to Mum and me about something but you couldn’t go into it in a letter. Last time we got one of those owls, you sprung a new boyfriend on me. Just promise me it’s nothing like that.”

“It’s not,” she replied softly. _Not exactly, anyway_. “And I’m really sorry about the way I handled telling you about him. I still can’t believe someone told you before I had a chance to.”

“I know you are.” He stood up and walked over to her. “Besides, I have a fair idea what it’s all about this time. Are you sure there isn’t something you’d like to confess?” he asked, holding a frown for only a couple of seconds before bursting into a wide grin and laughter. “Oi, Rosie, the look on your face …” He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close into his side. “Something about a thick packet forwarded to the Department of Mysteries from a certain daughter of mine?”

Despite a brief moment of frustration at _nothing_ remaining sacred where her family was concerned, a smile unwittingly played over her lips. “Yeah, perhaps I sent something,” she replied.

“That’s bloody brilliant, Rosie,” he interjected. “Your mum nearly split a gut, she was so proud.” He grinned wider and squeezed her tighter. “Me too, even if I was shocked, after all those years of swearing you’d _never_ work at the Ministry.”

Rose half-heartedly rolled her eyes. Although this was precisely what she knew would follow her application, she couldn’t help but be delighted that they were so proud of her, and no matter how vain it seemed, she was extremely proud of herself as well. “Thanks, Dad. I’m chuffed you’re so pleased. But how did you know already? Neville only sent it off on Friday afternoon.”

Her dad snickered. “We _do_ have a little insight into the happenings at the Ministry, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Her smile waned. “So who was it that told you?”

“Your pal, Jools. She Floo-called your mum last night about a new file and mentioned that Percy had received it just before he left on Friday. I expect he’ll have a thing or two to speak with you about tomorrow.” 

_I have a thing or two to speak with him about as well_ , she thought. Aloud, she said, “I’m surprised Uncle Percy has anything to do with it all – I mean, I always thought the Unspeakables answered directly to the Minister’s office.”

“That’s true, they do. But Kingsley delegated all recruitment and hiring decisions to Percy years ago.”

“So it’s _his_ decision,” she muttered, pursing her lips.

“What was that?” 

Rose shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied quietly.

Her dad looked at her oddly. “You’re not concerned, are you? That you won’t get a fair shake?” he laughed. “You should know better than to think Percy wouldn’t be as particular for you as he is for everyone else. Maybe even more so. Being family won’t influence his decision, I assure you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from him, now would I?” she muttered flippantly, slipping out from under his arm and stepping away. 

“Got something else on your mind?” He arched an eyebrow at her and fixed her with a probing stare, and although it was entirely different from her mum’s, it still made her want to tell him everything. “C’mon, Rosie. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Rose hesitated as she considered it – she almost broke down and spilled it all, her frustrations over Uncle Percy and her sympathy for Scorpius and the dozen or so questions that she had about it all on the tip of her tongue – but in the end, she simply shook her head, forced a smile, and lied. 

“No, that’s pretty much it.” She glanced at her watch. _Damn_. She had to go all the way over to the North Tower and up to the seventh floor, and she’d be pushing it to make it by nine as it was, so it was a good thing she hadn’t brought up anything more serious after all. “I’ve gotta run, Dad, or I’ll be late.”

“Mustn’t be late,” he teased. “Trelawney might predict more gloom and doom for you.”

Rose giggled. “No, it isn’t that. She’s just rather strict about being on time these days.” She stooped down and picked up her bag where she’d left it beside the couch before fixing him with a skeptical look. “And I can’t talk to you about _anything_. I know for a fact there are some things you don’t want to hear.”

“Good point,” he laughed. “I reckon there some things are better left unsaid.”

_You really have no idea_ , Rose thought as she kissed him goodbye and exited through the portrait hole, figuring that the discussion they were sure to have the next morning wouldn’t end so agreeably.


	20. Chapter 20

** Chapter 20 **

“All right, everyone. Hurry up. The sooner we get this meeting started, the sooner we'll be finished,” Johanna Cadwallader called out from the front of Professor Gaspar’s classroom, while beside her, Cameron Longbottom was motioning for everyone to quiet down.

Rose set her bag atop the desk she normally shared with Al and looked around the History of Magic classroom at the other Prefects filtering in. She waved at Ellie, who started toward the back of the room where Rose was standing, only to turn and head instead to the front of the classroom at Johanna’s “Ellie!” and frantic waving for Ellie to join her and Cameron.

It had been a surprise to receive Cameron’s owl an hour earlier, and Rose imagined the Head Boy and Girl were not particularly popular with the majority of Prefects who had planned on sleeping in since there were no classes today, although she, personally, had been up for quite some time already and was actually in the library, reading, when the owl arrived. She also wondered what might have prompted this impromptu Prefects meeting, although if she had to guess, she figured it was probably something to do with the ceremony commencing in just a few hours. Whatever the reason, she hoped that it wouldn’t take very long and that they weren’t expecting too much; she was terribly distracted by the upcoming conversation with her parents and the discussion she planned on having with Uncle Percy at some point before the day ended. Not to mention that she was seeing Scorpius’s parents again, would be meeting his grandmother for the first time, and hoped to introduce him to her own grandparents. 

Her day was demanding enough without adding Prefect duties to it, and not for the first time, Rose was thankful that Ellie, rather than she, was the heir apparent for Head Girl the next year.

She smiled brightly when Scorpius entered the room, looking a bit harried but incredibly gorgeous, his hair still damp and hanging in his face. His gaze swept over the room, and he looked relieved when his eyes finally settled upon her and remained locked on hers as he crossed the room.

“I see I’m not as late as I thought I’d be,” he said quietly as he sidled up next to her. “What have I missed?”

“Not a thing,” Rose replied, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. She reached over and slipped her hand inside his. “Everything alright with you, Scorpius? I mean, it isn’t like you to be late, and this is the second day in a row I’ve caught you rushing to get somewhere on time,” she teased, knowing full well that he was not much of a morning person and that they’d been more than occupied well past midnight the previous couple of nights.

Scorpius cleared his throat and gave her a droll look, squeezing her hand before releasing it. “I think you know why it’s been difficult for me to get up the past two mornings.” He pushed her bag over and sat down on the edge of the desk. “Come over here,” he directed, scooting Rose around until she was positioned between his legs, leaning her back against his leg, his hand resting lightly on her waist.

Cameron cleared his throat as he looked directly at two fifth year boys who were still huddled together, laughing, and Rose recalled they’d been quite unruly on more than one occasion during their weekly Prefect meetings. “Oi, Fawcett, Hopkins,” he said, finally getting their attention. “Shut it.” He turned and grinned at Johanna. “It’s all yours.”

“Thanks, Cameron.” A blush settled on Johanna’s cheeks and a shy smile played on her lips, and it occurred to Rose that perhaps there was more between them than simply their duties as Heads. Her thoughts immediately flew to Lily, who had carried a torch for Cameron for ages, and Rose’s heart went out to her as she wondered how her cousin would take a discovery that he was going out with her fellow Hufflepuff. 

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I promise to keep it short,” Johanna continued. “As everyone knows, the twenty-fifth commemoration ceremony is this afternoon, and the Ministry is expecting a very large crowd this year. Headmistress Vector has volunteered for all of us to be available to help keep things in order, seat folks if necessary, and basically be around to do anything Minister Shacklebolt's office asks us to do.”

Rose was making every attempt to focus upon what Johanna was saying, but she’d felt Scorpius’s hand slip into her hair, twisting her curls before caressing her neck with his fingertips, causing her to reflexively tilt her head backwards. And his caresses were making it practically impossible for her to concentrate on anything other than his fingers, slowly tracing circles over her skin, raising goosebumps in their wake and distracting her even more when they drifted down her arm. 

He rested his chin on her shoulder, and Rose imagined turning her face to meet his lips in a kiss that was soft at first but increased quickly in intensity. 

And when they broke apart, they’d be all alone, and she would turn in his arms, her skin tingling where his hands touched her at the small of her back, just underneath her suddenly untucked blouse.

“Where is everyone?” she would ask, and he would smirk _that smirk_ she has never been able to resist. “Who cares? I expect they had better things to do. I know we do.”

“I suppose we do,” Rose would say suggestively, fixing him with a less than innocent look and hooking her fingers through the belt loops of his jeans. “Whatever do you fancy doing, Mr. Malfoy?”

He’d return her look with a smoldering look of his own, his hands slipping down to her hips, and he would lean in until their noses were barely apart. “I fancy doing you, Miss Weasley,” he’d whisper gruffly, causing Rose’s breath to catch and shivers to run up her spine.

She would clutch his face between her hands and kiss him again with abandon as he bunched the fabric of her skirt and gripped her bum, pulling her roughly against him, leaving any resolve she might have had to slip away as she felt his fingertips running up her thigh –

“…Scorpius and Ellie,” Johanna’s voice pierced her daydream and commanded her attention, “if you don’t mind coordinating with the Minister’s liaison,” she looked down at a parchment in her hand, “a Mrs. Dawlish…her owl says that she’ll be available at the memorial at ten.”

Ellie glanced to the back of the room, and Rose suddenly felt a dozen eyes upon them. Scorpius’s fingers stilled but lingered on her arm, and her cheeks burned from the explicit daydream she’d been having. 

“Yeah, okay,” Scorpius answered, and Ellie echoed, “Yeah. Of course, we can do that.”

“Excellent,” Johanna nodded. “I believe that’s all I have then.” She turned to Cameron. “Do you have anything to add?”

Cameron glanced down at his notes. “No, you’ve covered it all fairly well.” He took the parchment from her hand and folded it together with his before stuffing them into the pocket of his trousers. “Like Johanna said, we’ll be meeting again in the Great Hall at ten-thirty. And be sure to wear your badges so that the Ministry officials will know they can come to you. Thanks everyone.”

Most of those in the classroom began leaving, talking loudly among themselves, but Rose followed Scorpius’s lead and remained still. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and looked up at him, smiling wryly when she caught him staring at her. “Well, well. They’re giving you Head Boy duties already, aren’t they?”

He chuckled quietly and arched an eyebrow. “It could be you as well.”

“Not a chance,” she giggled. “I’ll leave all that up to you two.” She glanced to Ellie, who was striding over from the front of the room after, presumably, getting additional last minute instructions from Johanna.

“I’ll catch up with you after breakfast so we can work out a preliminary schedule for everyone before we go over to the memorial,” Ellie asked excitedly as she came up to them, looking first to Rose then behind her to Scorpius. “That way we’ll have something to show Mrs. Dawlish. And I want to be sure we get there before any of the Ministry folks do, so –”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Scorpius interrupted, chuckling. He held up Rose’s arm and looked at her watch. “Looks like we’ve got a bit of time though.”

Ellie laughed. “I know. Nearly an hour. But this is a big deal, you know? And I don’t want to muck it up.”

“You two go on,” Rose said, reluctantly slipping out of Scorpius’s grasp. She reached around him and took hold of her bag. “I don’t think I want breakfast today. But I’ll see you both later.”

She turned to go but was halted by Scorpius’s grasp on her wrist. “You’re not coming down to breakfast?”

Rose looked from Scorpius to Ellie, both of whom wore perplexed looks. “You should see the looks on your faces,” she giggled. “What? I’m not hungry, and I thought I’d go back up to my dorm for a while and then down to the Pitch before everyone gets here, is all.” Scorpius released her arm, and Rose turned to Ellie. “Are your parents still coming with Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny?” 

Ellie nodded. “Yeah. Mum can’t be on her feet too long, what with the baby so close, and she wants to find a seat near the front.”

Rose turned back to Scorpius, who was watching her intently, and she bit her lip, fighting the urge to pull him against her by the collar and snog him until neither of them could breath or stand up straight. “What about your family? When do you expect them?”

“I’m to meet them just inside the front gates at precisely a quarter of twelve, according to Father’s owl.”

“I suppose I won’t see you until after, then. But you’ll find me, right?”

Scorpius raised his eyebrow in amusement. “You know I will.”

“Good, because I really want to introduce you to Gran and Granddad.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, her lips lingering a few seconds as she breathed in his scent. “And I want to meet your grandmother, too,” she added softly, almost as an afterthought. 

“Yeah,” he smiled. “She really wants to meet you, too.”

Rose nodded and smiled, adjusting her bag and hurrying out of the classroom before either of them could stop her again. She hadn’t been untruthful. She truly wasn’t hungry and she _was_ going back up to her room and then out to the Pitch. But she hadn’t elaborated as to _why_ – that the knot in her stomach wouldn’t have allowed her to eat and she was going back up to her room but only to drop off her bag, and then she was going down to the Pitch to meet her mum and dad. But neither of them knew anything of her plans to enlist her parents before talking to Uncle Percy about Scorpius – in fact, she still hadn’t told any of her friends other than Scorpius and Al about the Unspeakables or anything remotely related to it yet.

As she trudged up the stairs, she thought about what Scorpius had said, that his grandmother wanted to meet her. Rose knew that he loved his grandmother a great deal and he seemed really anxious to introduce Rose to her, but in reality, Rose wasn’t sure she was all that eager. The knowledge that she’d lied on her Uncle Harry’s behalf endeared Narcissa Malfoy to Rose somewhat, but she could not shake the uneasy feelings she had, knowing what the woman thought of her mother and other Muggleborns in the past and possibly still presently. Not to mention that Mrs. Malfoy had been there when her mum was tortured during the war… 

A chill ran through Rose at the thought of it, and she quickly shook it from her mind. Today was about commemoration, celebrating and honoring those who’d died; a day to look toward the future by way of the past without rehashing old prejudices and biases. 

And _that_ was what she wanted to impress upon Uncle Percy – that what he was doing was taking a step backward and endorsing the old ways by using new methods.

Rose climbed through the portrait hole and absentmindedly acknowledged some of the students coming down from the dorms as she passed them on her way up. She was grateful to find her room empty when she entered it and dropped her book bag onto the floor beside her bed, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. Deciding that there was still time and that it would definitely help, she grabbed her broomstick out from underneath her bed and left for the Pitch in a rush.

* * * *

“Nice moves there,” her dad called as Rose flew down and circled her parents above their heads. 

“Thanks,” she said breathlessly as she dropped her feet to the ground, attempting to smooth down her hair with one hand. “Hi, Mum.” She gave her mum a one-armed hug before turning to her dad and doing the same.

Her mum smiled lovingly. “Hi, love.” She nodded toward Rose’s broomstick. “Were you finished? We’ll watch from the stands if you aren’t.”

“No, I’m good, thanks,” Rose replied with a smile, feeling much more relaxed after being in the air, even for such a short time. 

“You know, Rosie, I think you look better up there every time I see you fly,” her dad said proudly. 

“Really?” Rose beamed. “Thanks, Dad.”

“What d’you say, Hermione? Think maybe our little girl should put off the Unspeakables for a few years and become a Harpie like her Auntie Ginny?”

Her mum chuckled. “Rose knows she can do whatever she’d like to, and we’ll support her wholeheartedly.”

“Right,” Rose practically snorted, staring unbelievingly at her mother. “As if I believe you really don’t care what I do.” She grinned knowingly, and her dad rolled his eyes and shook his head mockingly behind her mother’s back. “And if I announced I plan to sling dragon dung for Uncle Charlie’s reserve? What would you think then?”

Her dad laughed aloud then, and her mum smiled as she reached behind her and swatted him on the arm. “Alright, you two,” her mum sighed in resignation, “ha, ha. Point taken.” She reached out and squeezed Rose’s hand. “I can’t deny that I’m delighted with your application, although I was terribly surprised by it. I can’t imagine what changed your mind and caused you to apply, but I believe it’s an excellent decision on your part.”

“Believe it or not, I owe it all to Professor Zabini. She was the one who first suggested it to me. And she recommended me to them as well.”

“Did she now?”

“You’re joking! _Parkinson_ recommended you?”

Rose giggled at her parents’ stunned expressions. “I know. Shocking, isn’t it?”

“A bit,” her mum conceded. “But I’m pleased to know that she’s taking her position seriously and helping her students make wise decisions.”

“She’s really been very helpful and encouraging, Mum,” Rose insisted, frowning at her dad’s snort. “And not only for me.”

“If you say so,” he muttered. “She just knows a winner when she sees one.” He winked and nudged her playfully with his elbow, causing her to grin back at him. 

“The Department of Mysteries is very competitive, and I can’t imagine she’d recommend you if she didn’t believe you weren’t up to the challenge, Rose,” her mum added. 

“That’s sort of what she said,” Rose admitted, a blush rising over her cheeks. “And I’ve only put in an application, Mum. I haven’t been accepted or anything.”

“But you will be,” her dad said confidently. “How could you not, with your mother’s brains and my good sense?”

Rose giggled and her mum cleared her throat, arching an eyebrow at him. “Really, Ron? _Your_ good sense?”

“Well, maybe mine _and_ yours.” 

Her mum joined in his laughter. “Yes, that’s what I thought.” She turned back to Rose. “I’d say your chances are excellent, love. I can’t imagine a better candidate than you.”

_They had a better candidate than me but didn’t take him_ , Rose thought as she looked down at the broom in her hand, and mental pictures of Scorpius telling her about his rejection letter and his dejection the night he’d received it ran through her mind.

“Considering others who’ve been rejected, I’m not terribly confident in my chances,” she replied quietly. 

“I expect the decision to be made fairly, but honestly, Rose, your dad is right. You are an excellent candidate, and the Department of Mysteries would be fortunate to have you as an Unspeakable.”

Rose shrugged, the levity of the moment lost for her. “I suppose.”

“What is it that’s concerning you?” her mum mused. “It can’t be your qualifications.”

“It’s not that…it’s just…” Rose bit her lip. Now that the time was here to tell them, she almost wished it wasn’t.

“What is it then?” 

When she didn’t answer, her mum fixed Rose with one of her intense stares, and her dad pressed, “Rosie?”

“It’s Uncle Percy –” she began, and her dad laughed.

“You can’t possibly be worried that your Uncle Percy would give you an interview only because you’re his niece. You know as well as I do he’d rather cut off his nose than give anyone a chance they hadn’t earned.”

“No, I know he’d never do _that_. Only the opposite,” she muttered, unable to stop herself.

Her parents looked at her curiously, her dad narrowing his eyes slightly. 

“Uncle Percy’s a git, Dad,” Rose said emphatically, looking from him to her mum. “He turned down Scorpius’s application to the Department of Mysteries, without even giving him any consideration at all.”

When neither of them said anything, she continued talking, in part out of nervousness and in part because now that she’d started, she was afraid she’d never say it all if she stopped. “He applied a couple of months ago, and Uncle Percy didn’t even give him a chance to interview or anything. He just sent him an owl rejecting his application.” 

She looked pleadingly at her mother. “Scorpius showed it to me and it was awful, Mum. It said that he wouldn’t qualify for any non-clerical position with any department anywhere in the Ministry due to the ‘former political affiliations of his family.’ And Scorpius is the most qualified student in my class.” 

“No, Rosie. _You’re_ the most qualified student in your class.”

She turned back to her dad, rolling her eyes and huffing. “Only barely, and I don’t count.” She crossed her arms over her chest and set her jaw. “Besides, that’s not the point. The point is that Scorpius is _at least_ as qualified to be an Unspeakable as I am, and yet, he wasn’t even given a second look. How could Uncle Percy possibly justify sending an owl like that? Taking a position like that? How is that _fair_? To deny Scorpius the chance simply because –”

“I reckon Percy did what he had to do,” her dad said quietly but firmly, an odd look on his face. 

“Wha–?”

“Rose, Percy takes that position because the Ministry takes that position.” Her mum held her gaze, and a spark of intense emotion that Rose couldn’t quite read flashed in her eyes. 

She glared at her parents in shock. “What do you mean, ‘the Ministry takes that position’?” she whispered. “You mean the Ministry _condones_ this? But what about all the ‘unity’ rubbish it’s constantly promoting?”

Her parents exchanged one of _those_ looks – the looks where they talked to each other without speaking a word – and not for the first time, it infuriated Rose not to know what they weren’t saying.

Her mum took a calming breath and stared at her intently. “The Ministry strives for unity, Rose. It’s not rubbish, and it’s not something anyone takes lightly. Unification between wizards and witches and all magical creatures is the right thing for everyone. But in practice…” she pursed her lips together, “well, in practice, it’s a bit more difficult to achieve and there are certain ‘recommendations’ and ‘procedures’ in place to further the Ministry’s goals.”

Rose glared at her mother in disbelief. “But discriminating against people based upon who they’re related to? Isn’t that the opposite of unity and contrary to everything we’re commemorating today?”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” her dad muttered.

“We understand your frustration, but there are reasons, love,” her mum sighed, her gaze and voice softening. 

“What reasons?” Rose demanded. Her dad started to speak, but her mother quickly shook her head.

“Ron, you know we shouldn’t discuss Ministry policies –”

“Bit late for that, don’t you think? Besides, maybe she needs to know,” he said petulantly, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath as he looked intently at Rose. “There’s an ‘unofficial’ rule that direct descendants of Death Eaters won’t be employed by the Ministry other than in non-sensitive positions.”

Rose stood in stunned silence for a moment, working through the conflicting arguments in her head. She understood why the Ministry wouldn’t want to hire former Death Eaters into classified positions. No matter how strongly she felt that people deserved a second chance, she wasn’t so naïve as to believe there weren’t serious security implications in that instance. But to penalize children for the mistakes of their parents was simply wrong and unfair.

“And whose bloody awful idea was that?” she demanded angrily. She hadn’t expected an answer, and she was shocked even further when her parents exchanged another of _those looks_ and her mum answered quietly, “Every policy in the Ministry comes from the top, love.”

“The Minister?” Rose asked incredulously. “But you’ve always said that Kingsley Shacklebolt was a good…”

“And he is,” her mum confirmed quickly. “He’s been a very fair and effective Minister, and many, many positive changes have occurred under his administration.”

“But this isn’t fair or positive. Why would he –”

“Because they were _Death Eaters_ ,” her dad interjected. “Not merely sympathizers or folks who fought with him, but people who were a part of Voldemort’s inner circle. People who aligned themselves with everything he stood for." He shrugged. “Kingsley was an Auror. He fought those bastards personally; lost good friends to them. Old habits die hard, and I reckon he’s seen enough in his years to know not to trust anything the lot of them has ever said.”

Rose crossed her arms and huffed. “Alright, fine. Keep _them_ out of the Ministry. I understand that. But _Scorpius_ didn’t do any of those things,” Rose insisted fervently. “His dad and grandparents may have believed in blood purity, but _he_ doesn’t, and it isn’t fair to punish him for things he has no control over. Besides, Uncle Harry likes his grandmother, you said so yourself. You said he asked her to come today and –”

“Inviting her to attend a public ceremony does not mean he likes her. She risked a lot for him, and Harry respects that. But that does not excuse anything the Malfoys did.” His lips pursed and he mumbled, “As the Aurors always say, ‘Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater.’ No one stops being a Death Eater, Rose.”

“But, Dad! What they’re doing is wrong. They’re affecting Scorpius’s future…” she stopped suddenly, something else occurring to her. “Hang on…you said it’s a ‘Ministry policy.’”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“And Uncle Percy’s owl to Scorpius said none of the departments would be interested in him,” she continued, turning to her mum. “So…is he the only one who hires people?”

“No.”

Rose sensed her mum’s hesitancy, and the knot in her stomach grew as the reality of the situation set in. She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked away to the hoops at the far end of the Pitch. “So, the Aurors and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? Is Uncle Percy in charge of those departments?” she asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it for herself.

“No,” her mother repeated, and Rose saw a mixture of regret and resignation in her eyes. “Those decisions fall directly to Harry and me.”

“So you and Uncle Harry…I suppose you have to go along with it, too,” she whispered, in confirmation rather than question, and her mum nodded, sighing apologetically.

“We’re ‘encouraged’ to, so yes, but Sweetheart, it isn’t that simple –” 

“Of course it isn’t,” Rose said sorrowfully. “Nothing about all this is ever going to be simple, is it? So have you done it? Turned down someone who was otherwise qualified because of this ‘recommendation,’ I mean?” 

“No,” her mum shook her head, “but I haven’t had any affected applicants.”

“And Uncle Harry?” Rose looked to her dad. “Has he?”

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a loud huff. “Yeah, once.”

“Brilliant,” Rose said sarcastically. “Who was it? Was it Scorpius?”

“Not that it’s yours to know,” her dad said defensively, “but no, it wasn’t him. It happened years ago. And as far as I know, he’s never applied.”

“No, I don’t expect he has,” Rose said irritably. She glanced down at her watch and sighed in deep frustration. “I’ve got to go. The Headmistress volunteered the Prefects’ services today, and I have to meet up with the other Prefects in ten minutes.” She shook her head in irritation. “God, this day just gets better and better,” she muttered sarcastically. 

Her dad blew out a deep breath and ran both of his hands through his hair and her mum squeezed her hand. “We don’t want to leave you with the wrong impression about all this, Rose.” 

_The wrong impression?_ she thought. _What’s the **right** impression to have when your parents have just told you that your government officials – who you have seriously considered joining – exercise a policy of discrimination on the basis of one’s family and that members of your own family are required to implement it?_

“I wish there was more we could say,” her mother continued, “some way to explain it better, but there’s so much more to it than you can possibly understand.”

“Why do you think I wouldn’t understand? Why do you underestimate me –”

“No one’s underestimating you. But for the past twenty-five years, all has been well,” her dad answered, all defiance in his voice gone, and Rose allowed him to pull her tightly against his side.

“It’s very complicated, Rose. And you don’t know what it was like before – you couldn’t possibly know what it was like – Death Eaters were in the Ministry. Entrenched,” her mum added. “During the war, even the Minister for Magic was a Death Eater. There’s a very real fear among those who lived it that history will repeat itself.”

“Then maybe it is time for someone new,” Rose muttered. “Like Lee Jordan was talking about.” She looked up at her dad and hugged him around the waist before turning to her mum. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit, once everyone has been seated and we’re no longer needed.” 

“Alright,” her mother sighed. “Rose, I hope I don’t need to remind you about discretion –”

Rose huffed and rolled her eyes. “No, you don’t need to remind me.” She pecked her mum on the cheek and hopped onto her broomstick. “I am capable of keeping my mouth shut when I have to.”

_Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t Floo-call Uncle Percy after all_ , she thought as she pushed off and flew into the air toward the castle. Much of her hostility toward Uncle Percy had dissipated, having gone from being angry to being mostly saddened by the whole matter, but Rose still planned to speak with him about Scorpius and the Unspeakables in general, although she would honor her parents’ trust and not mention anything about what they’d told her. She only hoped that Uncle Percy didn’t endorse the Minister’s directives but simply followed them because he had to, as was obviously the case with her parents and Uncle Harry. Because if it was the former, anything she said would fall upon deaf ears, but if it was the latter, there was hope she might persuade him it was time for a change.

* * * *

A little more than two hours later, Rose found herself standing near the lake, sandwiched between Al and Hugo, watching reverently and fighting back tears as a parade of dignitaries took the podium to speak in honor of the event. 

Headmistress Vector had spoken first and given a heartfelt tribute to Minerva McGonagall, the former professor, headmistress, and Order member who’d passed away the previous summer, detailing her life and honoring the sacrifices she made for the school and her students throughout her life, and not a dry eye remained by the time the Headmistress had finished.

She was followed by Genevieve Dawlish, who, surprisingly, matched the dignified tone set by Headmistress Vector and paid a heartfelt tribute to the survivors of the Blood Wars, asking those in attendance who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts to stand and be recognized. Her tearful words of thanks and gratitude to those standing and their families for the sacrifices they’d made brought rousing applause, after which she’d positively beamed while introducing Uncle Harry. 

She watched Uncle Harry rise to an equally loud round of applause, acknowledge a nod and bittersweet smile from Auntie Ginny with his own then shake Minister Shacklebolt’s hand and grip his bicep tightly before taking the podium to make the speech she knew he hadn’t wanted to make.

“Thank you,” he began as the clapping died down and he smiled uneasily, clearly not enjoying the attention. “Today means something different to everyone. For some, it’s a day to celebrate, and for others, it’s a day to mourn. But however we look at it, each of us is indebted to those who got us here, through the battles that finally ending on this date, twenty-five years ago. And it’s through their efforts, abilities, and loyalties, and those of you –” he gestured to the crowd gathered before him, “all of you and the many who were injured or killed – that Lord Voldemort was finally vanquished.”

A smattering of whispers and gasps rang out through the crowd at the mention of Voldemort’s name, and as she glanced around and realized the collective ages of those in attendance, it occurred to Rose that a great many of them had probably never said the name themselves.

“I urge you to never forget,” his gaze swept over the gathering of Weasleys and Potters near the lake, and he smiled proudly, “and to share with your children and grandchildren the trials that we overcame in hopes that history will not repeat itself for a third time.”

He motioned to Minister Shacklebolt and concluded, “And please join me in thanking Minister Shacklebolt and his office for organizing today’s event. It’s been an honor and a privilege to share today with you, celebrating our victory while mourning our fallen.”

Rose joined in the wild clapping around her, beaming as Uncle Harry rejoined Auntie Ginny who pecked him quickly on the lips as the Minister for Magic stepped up behind the podium.

And it was Minister Shacklebolt who stood before them now, reading off the names of those lost during both Blood Wars, a tribute Rose understood he personally read at each and every commemoration, after which the official ceremony would be concluded, to be followed by a banquet in the Great Hall and her own family’s gathering out on the grounds. 

Although she had to wonder how any of them could be in any sort of celebratory mood following _this_.

This was, quite possibly, the most painfully heartbreaking moment Rose Weasley had ever experienced.

She took a deep breath when the name “Colin Creevey” was read, and Ellie’s mum wiped away a tear for her first boyfriend before giving a sad smile to Ellie’s dad when he kissed the back of her hand.

She sympathized with Genevieve Dawlish, who discretely fought back tears when the Minister reverently read the name of her late husband, “John Dawlish.”

She sniffled loudly when her mum cried into her dad’s chest and he leaned forward to clap Uncle Harry on the shoulder as the Minister acknowledged “Dobby, the House Elf,” among the casualties.

She blinked back tears when Teddy held his head high, cradling his two-week old son, John, closely to his chest as Victoire wiped away tears when his parents’ names, “Nymphadora “Tonks” Lupin and Remus Lupin,” were proudly read by an openly emotional Minister Shacklebolt.

She reached around Al and touched Ellie’s arm when her mum and Lavender hugged each other as their friend, “Parvati Patil,” was recognized as one of the fallen.

She grasped Al’s hand tightly in hers when he took several deep, calming breaths, his eyes fixed upon Uncle Harry, who blinked back tears of his own, one arm tight around Auntie Ginny’s shoulders and the other holding a sobbing Lily against him as the names “James and Lily Potter” were read.

She felt her heart break a little more when Gran bent her head into Granddad’s neck, her shoulders shaking, as the Minister read off the name “Fabian Prewett” followed immediately by “Gideon Prewett.”

And she refused to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks when his loud, booming voice finally reached the final name – “Fred Weasley” – similar tears appearing on the faces of the collective group of family surrounding her grandparents, all of them unabashedly weeping and clinging to one another as most of those in attendance were as well. And for several moments, as she cried in her little brother’s arms, Rose wondered how she would _ever_ be able to pull herself together after such a heart-wrenching tribute.

Eventually, the crowd started to disperse, and Rose’s parents began making their way toward where she and Hugo were standing. Hugo met them a few steps away, and he allowed their mum to hug him tightly before shaking their dad’s hand and slipping into the throng of people near the Battle of Hogwarts memorial.

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Al said quietly, and Rose watched him reach back and take Ellie by the hand, leading her through the crowd to where her parents were still seated, before turning back to greet her own parents with heartfelt hugs and a kiss to her dad’s cheek.

“I though Uncle Harry's speech was lovely,” she said to her mum, who nodded, a wistful smile on her lips. 

“Short and sweet and to the point,” her dad muttered. “But yeah, he did good.”

“I’d say very good,” her mother added, leaning into his chest and sniffling. “Padma says _The Prophet_ wants photographs of the three of us together, but I’m not certain I’m up for them.” She sighed deeply. “I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this has been more difficult than I anticipated, even after all these years.”

“I know, love. For me, too.” Her dad hugged her mum into his chest and kissed the top of her head. “But the sooner we brave the crowd, the better.”

Her mum nodded again, reaching up and kissing his lips tenderly. “Since when are you the logical one?” she teased, a genuine smile upon her lips as she gazed into his eyes and gently caressed his bearded jaw. 

“I reckon you've rubbed off on me a bit after all.”

Feeling as if she was intruding upon an intimate moment, Rose looked away from them and scanned the crowd of people milling about. It never failed to amaze her the level of respect and love her parents showed one another or how each of them knew, without question, precisely what the other needed at any given time. It was that level of intimacy and degree of comfort Rose craved…which she hoped to continue building with Scorpius.

He’d arrived with his parents and grandmother just before noon, and Rose had been acutely aware of their location during the ceremony, of his parents and grandmother seated in the back, several rows behind her family, and Scorpius standing behind his grandmother’s chair, his hands resting protectively upon her shoulders. And although she understood his need to be with them – and had openly endorsed it – she’d longed to have him with her, to be the one being comforted by him as she clutched his hand or leaned her head against his shoulder. 

She continued scanning the sea of people, looking for him in particular but seeing many others she recognized or knew before finally locating him, standing several meters away between his mother and grandmother, who were talking with Professor Bhandari, and across from his father, who was deep in conversation with Diana’s dad. As if he sensed her, Scorpius looked around and caught her eye, and an intense feeling of longing rushed through her when he winked and mouthed 'Love you' before turning back to his mother and nodding at something she had said. 

“Rosie?”

Her dad’s voice broke through her reverie and she turned back to her parents.

“Are you coming, dear?” her mum asked.

Rose shook her head. “Not yet. I want to...” her voice trailed off and she bit her lip, looking back over her shoulder. She heard her dad sigh somewhat gloomily. 

“Join us soon, alright?” her mum said, cupping her cheek for a moment and staring at her like she had when Rose was a little girl. “You don’t want to keep your grandparents waiting too long.” 

Rose watched the two of them walk away, their arms wrapped around each other. They joined Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny, who were standing with a photographer and a beautiful woman with long, black hair.

“It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn’t it?” Scorpius whispered into her ear. 

She turned and looked into his red-rimmed eyes. “Yes, it was.” She ached to throw her arms around him but she didn’t, knowing that, quite possibly, there were many sets of eyes upon them, and she was relieved when he took her hand and tugged lightly.

“Grandmother’s tired and wants to leave soon, but…can you come?”

She hesitated only a second before nodding and allowing Scorpius to lead her across the grounds. And as she nervously smoothed back her unruly hair and cursed the fact that she didn’t have her wand in order to perform a hangover charm on her tear-streaked, reddened face, Rose wondered if there would ever be a time that she didn’t feel uneasy and apprehensive around Scorpius’s family. 


	21. Chapter 21

** Chapter 21 **

“Judging by the looks of you, my dear, I’d say you’ve had a difficult day.”

Rose glared at the mirror, unable to stop a sarcastic chuckle from escaping her lips. A part of her wanted to tell it to just ‘Sod off.’ But rather than insult an inanimate object unnecessarily, she bit her tongue and muttered quietly, “You really have no idea,” as she kicked off her shoes and leaned against the wall, roughly pulling at her stockings, which she crumpled into a ball and tossed to the floor, watching with irritation as they unraveled. She huffed in frustration as she bent down and picked them up, resisting the urge to hurl them across the room; instead, she balled them again and shoved them inside one of her shoes.

“Feel free to share your concerns, dearie,” the mirror continued. “Anything you tell me is confidential, of course.”

Rose quirked an eyebrow and gazed at her reflection in disbelief, causing the mirror to chortle. “You’re doubtful? I suspect you’d be shocked by the number of secrets I’ve been told these many years. And by whom.”

Rose hesitated momentarily. _Where would I even begin?_ she thought before finally shaking her head, recognizing that the fact she had even contemplated sharing the drama of the day with a talking mirror was more than telling as to what kind of day it had been. 

And that was precisely what she was doing here – trying to clear her head and make some sense of it all. She was terribly grateful that it was her scheduled time for the Prefects’ bathroom because she needed this. Desperately.

She couldn’t believe it was only that morning – a mere twelve hours ago – that Johanna and Cameron had been conducting their Prefect meeting and she’d been teasing Scorpius about the reason for his recent lateness, flirting and daydreaming the loveliest of daydreams that really had started her day off right. And then she’d had time to fly – fast and furious, the wind against her face, the wood rough beneath her hands – fleeing temporarily from her thoughts and even impressing her parents with her heightened skills, many of which she’d learned from Scorpius during their frequent flies the past few weeks now that the weather was so much nicer.

But those few moments of levity had quickly passed, and the rest of the day had spiraled out of control.

First there was the twenty-fifth anniversary commemoration itself, that heart-wrenching ceremony which had left Rose feeling much more than she’d ever expected to. Of course, she _knew_ – had known her whole life – that her parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and their peers had gone through a great deal during the Blood Wars, and she’d always respected them for everything that they’d accomplished and was terribly grateful to them for ending Lord Voldemort’s tyranny. And after all the recent discussions she’d had with her parents and all the little known truths that they’d shared with her, Rose understood, much more so now, the sacrifices they’d made and the trials they’d endured to make it all happen, and her levels of respect and gratitude had multiplied as a result.

And so, naturally, she was prepared to be touched by the ceremony. How could she _not_ be affected by a memorial for those who fought and died ridding the world of the Dark Lord? And how could she not be moved hearing her Uncle Harry speak out publicly about the Blood War for the first time ever, or at least as long as she and her cousins could ever remember or knew about? But Rose had never expected that those who’d been involved – her parents, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, close friends of her family – would still be so openly wounded by it all and that the sight of their pain would touch her so deeply. She’d never expected to feel so connected to their losses, almost as if she’d personally experienced those things herself and actually known those they were mourning. And she’d certainly never expected to be reduced to tears herself.

Rose sniffled just thinking about it – the sight of her parents breaking down affecting her more than anything else – as she crossed the tile floor and stooped down, turning the hot water faucet to high and adding in just enough cold to keep it from scalding her skin. She studied the selection of bubbles, choosing the lavender to help calm her nerves and clear her head, and took a deep breath before returning to the mirror, studying her reflection while she pulled the band out of her hair and tossed her head, raking her fingers through her hair as she listened to the flowing water filling the giant tub behind her.

As if the ceremony hadn’t been emotionally draining enough, facing Scorpius’s family had only served to increase her anxiety.

He had been so earnest when he took her by the hand and asked her to come and meet his grandmother and, of course, Rose had agreed, despite her reservations and lack of enthusiasm at doing so. And she’d geared herself up for the introductions as they made their way across the grounds to where Scorpius’s grandmother was deep in conversation with his mother, their arms linked, and just behind them, his father was talking animatedly with Mr. Pucey and Professor Bhandari. Her mind raced, the complexities of the situation converging upon her at once, and she was unsure what she should say and how she should act. The fact that Rose was meeting her boyfriend’s grandmother for the first time and obviously wanted to make a good impression upon her was at war with the knowledge that this woman had stood by and watched her sister torture Rose’s mother, which conflicted with the understanding that she’d also risked her own life and, in the process, allowed Uncle Harry to escape from Voldemort. And to top it off, Rose was unsure how she should actually go about it: whether a simple “Hello, I’m Rose” would suffice or whether it would simply be more appropriate to wait and let Scorpius make the introductions himself. 

Her eyes had been locked upon the group as she and Scorpius drew closer. She saw Scorpius’s mother and grandmother bid goodbye to her Defense professor then greet Mrs. Pucey when she joined them just after Professor Bhandari had gone. And as they neared, Rose had overheard Diana’s mum inviting Scorpius’s parents and his grandparents for tea on the following Thursday and Diana’s dad asking Mr. Malfoy to Floo call him about some proposal, assuring him he would be pleased with the results. And she’d watched Mrs. Pucey lean in and kiss Scorpius’s grandmother on both cheeks and Mr. Pucey shake Mr. Malfoy’s hand vigorously, clapping him affably on the other arm before taking his wife by the hand, the two of them disappearing into the crowd just as Rose and Scorpius arrived.

And Rose’s nervousness, which had been building the entire time, had magnified all the more when Scorpius’s dad glanced their way and a stiff smile appeared on his face as his gaze settled upon his son and he’d drawled, “And here you are. You’ve caused your grandmother to fret, Scorpius, taking off like that.”

Hanna Malfoy, on the other hand, had smiled lovingly at her son. “Your father exaggerates. She was simply afraid she wouldn’t see you again before leaving. Isn’t that the case, Narcissa?” She gently patted his grandmother’s hand. “But I assured her that you hadn’t gone far and would be returning shortly.” Her gaze had then shifted, her smile taking in both of them as she greeted Rose with a very pleasant “Good afternoon.”

Mrs. Malfoy had instantly put Rose more at ease, and she’d smiled and timidly responded, “Good afternoon,” as she’d glanced at each of them. She had been quite relieved that only Scorpius’s mum seemed to be paying her any mind; his dad had turned to greet some passersby and his grandmother’s sole attention had been focused upon her grandson as she released her daughter-in-law’s arm and slipped her hand inside Scorpius’s crooked elbow, giving Rose the opportunity to study the elder Mrs. Malfoy surreptitiously.

Rose unbuttoned her blouse, stepped out of her skirt, and slipped out of her bra and knickers before crouching down and turning off the taps. She sank into the tub, immersing herself completely underneath the bubbles. When she emerged, she leaned back against the cool tile edge, her wet hair slicked back, and closed her eyes, continuing her reverie.

The first time she’d ever even seen Scorpius’s grandmother had been at the Slytherin/Ravenclaw match several weeks earlier, but it had only been from a distance, and all Rose had really noticed about her was that she had long platinum blonde hair. But now that they were meeting face to face, Rose could see that she and Narcissa Malfoy were very nearly the same height, that her eyes were pale blue, and that her hair was, in actuality, almost white. And although she hadn’t really thought about it beforehand, Rose deduced that she was fairly close in age to her own Gran and Nana. She had also found Mrs. Malfoy to be quite pretty – noticing that her skin was like porcelain and there was something oddly familiar about her defined features – and it had then occurred to her that Scorpius’s grandmother was simply a fairer-haired version of Teddy’s grandmother, Andromeda, whom Rose had suddenly remembered was Mrs. Malfoy’s sister. 

But Rose had quickly determined that their facial features were most likely the only things Narcissa Malfoy had in common with her sister. No, unlike Andromeda, who was friendly and engaging, Mrs. Malfoy had had an air about her – one of aloof superiority and vanity that Rose had both contemplated and, quite frankly, had expected – although it was, surprisingly, mixed with a gracefulness reminiscent of the old black-and-white films that Rose used to watch with her Nana when she was younger.

Heat rose up Rose’s cheeks when she recalled the intense discomfort she’d felt when she discovered that Mr. Malfoy was no longer turned around, engaged with others, but that his gaze had shifted to her. How he’d made her to feel foolish for being caught openly staring at his mother with his steely gaze, his raised eyebrow, and his deliberate look. And the knowledge that he was obviously sizing her up had only added to Rose’s unease, and she startled slightly when Scorpius’s grandmother spoke for the first time since she and Scorpius had joined them.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Scorpius?” she had asked pointedly, and Rose had instantly – and easily – discerned the mixture of superiority and false sincerity in the woman’s voice, matching the thin, haughty smile on her face. Not seeming to be phased whatsoever by it, which led Rose to believe that this was simply her natural tone of voice, Scorpius’s smile hadn’t wavered in the slightest when he proudly made the introductions, “Grandmother, I’d like to present Rose Weasley. Rose, this is my grandmother, Narcissa Malfoy.” 

“Pleasure,” Mrs. Malfoy had replied, but she’d made no moves to release her grandson’s arm or to shake Rose’s hand. “Scorpius has told us all about you.”

Irrespective of her words and the sugary sweetness in her voice, it had been blatantly apparent to Rose that Mrs. Malfoy considered this meeting with her anything _but_ a pleasure. And at first, she was unsure exactly how to even respond without sounding terribly insincere because, quite honestly, the feeling was mutual, and she’d hesitated momentarily, a slightly forced grin frozen on her face. 

She understood that Scorpius’s family was important to him, just as her own family meant the world to her, and she had really wanted to make a good impression, no matter how she personally felt about spending time with them. And she knew that she should simply smile graciously, bite her tongue, offer a hand, pretend that she believed what Mrs. Malfoy was saying, and that she really cared. Except that Rose had grown up with parents who were not what she would ever have called pretentious, and it was difficult for her not to react defensively to Mrs. Malfoy’s obviously superficial greeting. But as if sensing her uneasiness, Scorpius had squeezed her fingers between his and run his thumb up and down hers, along her wrist, and between their intertwined hands, caressing her palm sensually, and Rose had managed to reply that it was lovely to meet Mrs. Malfoy as well, although she’d followed the woman’s lead and not offered her hand.

After the introductions, an awkward silence had fallen over the group, and although Rose knew it had only lasted for a few seconds, at the time, it had seemed to go on for ages, and she had been more than a little relieved when Scorpius’s mum broke the silence with a few moments of small talk, primarily about how pleased they were that she would be joining them for the league championships later in the summer, before Mr. Malfoy cut in, his eyes on his watch. 

“We should be going, Mother. It’s nearly half-past two.”

Mrs. Malfoy’s eyes had widened slightly and she’d turned to her grandson and patted his arm. “Scorpius, dear, I really should be getting along. I promised your grandfather I would be home before three o’clock since we are expecting a number of guests for dinner, tonight.” She gazed at Rose, an arrogant grin on her lips. “I’m sure your friend will understand if you take a few moments and escort your grandmother to the gates.”

_Oh, come on_ , Rose fumed inwardly. There was no possible way that she was the only one to hear the condescension in Mrs. Malfoy’s tone. _But that’s just fine,_ she thought to herself _, because two can play at that_.

“Of course I don’t mind,” she replied, holding the older woman’s gaze just long enough to meet her challenge then flashed a beaming – and altogether understanding – smile at Scorpius. “Take all the time you need. You know where to find me later.”

He leaned in on her opposite side. “About your grandparents–” he began in an undertone, but Rose cut him off, shaking her head slightly. 

“You’ll be back before they leave,” she had whispered into his ear, her eyes fixed on his family, all of whom were watching the two of them curiously. She had then very politely bid them all a good afternoon, wished them a pleasant evening, and excused herself, catching up with her parents and Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny, who’d finally managed to escape from Padma Whitby and her photographer from _The Prophet_ , and rejoining her family near the lake.

For the next hour or so, Rose had truly enjoyed their company – all thirty of them – as well as their respective fiancés, girlfriends, boyfriends, and dear family friends. But in the back of her mind, she’d wondered why Scorpius was taking so long, why he hadn’t returned…and whether he was going to make it back before everyone left, and her patience was wearing thinner by the minute. And when Therese had commented that “Perhaps he took one look at the lot of us and had second thoughts,” before Lora had remarked rather casually “Didn’t you know that Granddad has quite the interrogation planned?” with a smirk on her face, Rose had nearly lost her temper. She knew, of course, that her cousins were simply taking the piss and she attempted to nonchalantly disregard what they had said, pointing out that their Granddad would be the absolute last one in their family to interrogate anyone. But Therese and Lora had had hit a nerve, and Rose was more than a little relieved when they finally left with Paul and his roommate, Robert Cauldwell, who were going home by way of The Three Broomsticks. 

It was only a short time later that their party began dispersing in earnest, beginning with Rose’s cousin, Karla, and her fiancé, Leo, who were taking a Portkey back to Romania, and while she had been thrilled not to have missed them altogether, Rose was somewhat disappointed that there hadn’t been an opportunity for her to spend any time alone with Karla, who was probably her favorite cousin outside of Al.

Her disappointment had abated, however, when she’d held John for the first time, marveling at how strong he was for someone so tiny when he’d gripped her finger and how soft his skin felt when she’d stroked his cheek and how wonderful he smelled when she’d snuggled him under her chin. But then she’d had to surrender him to Victoire and Teddy, who were leaving with Uncle Bill and Auntie Fleur, and a different sort of odd emptiness had set in at the loss of seeing him go, leaving Rose with a newfound understanding why Gran had been reluctant to put him down the entire afternoon. 

Having decided at some point in the afternoon to accompany Rose’s grandparents and reconvene back to The Burrow, the lingering adults had gathered together with Rose and Al and James and Hugo and Lily and Fred, hugging and kissing and bidding goodbye before sending them back up to the castle. Rose had found herself being pulled into a tight embrace first by Auntie Ginny, then Auntie Katie and Auntie Angelina, before her parents had pulled her to the side “to have a word” before they left. 

She had steeled herself for what they were going to say – and she knew her mother well enough to see that she’d obviously wanted to say something rather important – but for whatever reason, whether it was the look on Rose’s face or because so many people were still milling around, she’d held her tongue and simply embraced Rose heartily.

“What is it you wanted to tell me?” Rose had asked, slightly concerned at the sadness still reflected in her mother’s eyes.

“I trust you know that Dad and I love you very much, Rose, and we’re so very proud of you,” she smiled wanly. “And please don’t forget that you should always come to us if you need to discuss things.”

“I know, Mum, and thank you,” Rose had answered, the kiss she’d placed on her mother’s cheek being one of love and gratitude and respect. “I love you both, too.” She’d then turned to her dad, who’d remained strangely quiet, and thrown her arms tightly around his neck. 

“Take care of yourself, Rosie Posie,” he’d chuckled, “and force yourself to study hard.”

Rose had giggled and rolled her eyes, thinking how brilliant her parents were, and a strange feeling of nostalgia overtook her as she watched them leave the grounds with Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny. At the sight of the four of them traipsing across the grounds, Rose had imagined them during their Hogwarts days, recalling the numerous photographs adorning her mum’s study and their sitting room, and a part of her wished that she could have known them back then. 

Those bittersweet feelings gave way to a trace of consternation not too terribly long after, though, when she found herself being hugged tightly by her Granddad and then kissed lovingly by her Gran who eyed her knowingly. “Things haven’t quite gone your way this afternoon, have they, dear?”

“I really wanted you to meet Scorpius today, Gran,” Rose had muttered quietly, sighing and looking down at the ground, trying to hide how she felt by not meeting her grandmother’s gaze. She wasn’t angry, per se, more disappointed that it hadn’t worked out for them to meet him, and perplexed that he hadn’t returned yet because she’d really expected him to by now, and even a bit worried because she had no idea what could possibly be taking him so long.

Gran took her by the chin, raised her face, and forced Rose to meet her eye. “It’s all right, love. We’ll meet your young man another time.” She gently patted Rose on the cheek and smiled affectionately. “And don’t be too angry with him. It’s important that he takes his family obligations so seriously. Just as you would.”

Rose half-heartedly pondered her Gran’s sentiments – still not entirely ready to let it go – as she approached her Uncle Percy, the last remaining Weasley, who was standing near the edge of the lake, watching Jools walk hastily to where Genevieve Dawlish was speaking with several remaining members of her staff, Cameron, and Headmistress Vector. Rose had been wanting to speak to him all afternoon but every time she’d seen him, he had been with someone from the Ministry or a member of their family, and she’d held back, not wanting to have that sort of discussion with him in front of others. 

Upon reaching him, however, she’d almost stopped herself once more; the slump of his shoulders and the look of utter exhaustion on his face as he stared out at the lake, blindly cleaning his glasses on a handkerchief, giving her pause. 

She was no longer angry at him. She really couldn’t be after talking with her parents. Rose had paid close attention to the things they’d said about the Ministry’s policies, as well as the things they hadn’t said but she had readily sensed, such as their own dissatisfaction with the latent unfairness and their inability to change things, and she’d realized that this situation really was mostly beyond Uncle Percy’s control. And for the first time in her life, she really considered what a difficult position he held, the responsibilities thrust upon him, not to mention the toll those tasks clearly took on him, and she felt somewhat ashamed for all the things she’d wrongly assumed about him over the past few days. 

But before she could slip away, he’d turned and greeted her, a tired smile playing upon his lips as he replaced his glasses and walked toward her, and Rose had returned his smile with one of her own when he’d greeted her in typical fashion by asking how her classes were going.

“Classes are fine,” she’d answered as he gently touched her arm and they began strolling leisurely back toward the memorial near Dumbledore’s tomb, and Rose began rambling on about the top grade she’d received for her Polyjuice Potion and Professor Zabini’s admission that Rose was the first sixth year to be assigned such a difficult potion by the professor.

“That’s right,” he’d said, nodding in acknowledgment. “I’ve been advised that Pansy Zabini has written quite a stellar recommendation for you.” He paused for a moment. “Come to think of it, I can’t recall that she’s made more than two or three recommendations of students to the Ministry in all the years she has been at Hogwarts, even when we’ve requested them from her. You must have done something extraordinary to impress her so greatly, Rose.” He chuckled dryly. 

Rose looked at him questioningly. “How is that amusing?”

Uncle Percy had held up his hand and shook his head. “It’s ironic that she seems to have taken a liking to you in light of her relationship with your mum. Pansy and Hermione have certainly never been what anyone would call ‘friendly’.”

“Oh.” Rose bit her lip and glanced over at him, noticing for the first time that his hair was beginning to gray over his ears, a fact that for some unknown reason saddened her somewhat. “So…I suppose you’ve read my application then?” she’d asked quietly.

“I’ve browsed through it, but I won’t comment to you about it, Rose, no matter that you are my niece.” He’d smiled slyly. “Certainly you didn’t expect any special treatment, did you?”

“Actually…” Rose let out a deep breath, “I’m wondering if perhaps I shouldn’t withdraw it.”

Uncle Percy had stopped in his tracks, causing Rose to stop as well and face him. “Why would want to withdraw your application? You’ve only just submitted it.”

Many reasons ran through her mind – the bureaucracy and unfairness and prejudices perpetuated by the Ministry fresh in her mind and on the tip of her tongue – and a part of her wanted so badly to quiz him about it all. To ask him the questions that she’d wanted to for days now. To plead with him on Scorpius’s behalf and make him understand the outstanding person that they’d simply thrown by the wayside without any sort of consideration.

But Rose understood that she couldn’t do any of those things. She couldn’t tell him what she knew, recognizing that her parents had trusted her enough to share the truth with her, asking only that she be discreet with the information they’d provided her. Meaning, she realized, that she couldn’t say anything to Uncle Percy or anyone else about it.

So instead of asking him, “How is it fair to punish people my age for the things their parents and grandparents did when we’re nothing like them?” and demanding of him, “Tell me, Uncle Percy, would _you_ want to forever be remembered for the mistakes you’ve made? Don’t you believe in second chances? Don’t you believe people can change for the better?” and urging him, “You have to reconsider this policy, not only for Scorpius, but for everyone who has been affected by it,” Rose had simply shrugged and looked away, out over the lake. 

“I dunno. I was just thinking...I’m not sure that the Ministry is right for me.”

“Why would you think such a thing?” he asked, disbelief evident in his voice. “You are precisely the type of candidate that we’re looking for – intelligent, capable, well-respected –”

She’d sighed, still not looking at him. “But that’s not always enough, is it? Sometimes those things don’t matter at all. And I don’t believe that’s something I can easily ignore.”

When Uncle Percy hadn’t responded after a long minute or two, Rose had ventured a glance at him; he was staring at her in disbelief, his arms crossed and the fingers of his right hand stroking his chin, and his silent scrutiny spoke volumes, making her feel uneasy. She really hoped that she hadn’t said too much because she did not want to betray her parents’ trust or get them into any kind of trouble with either Uncle Percy or Minister Shacklebolt. 

“Please don’t look at me like that,” she’d insisted, sighing heavily. “I haven’t decided entirely. I’ve been thinking about it, is all. But if I ask you to, will you?”

Uncle Percy had rubbed the bridge of his nose, just below his glasses, and motioned for Rose to walk with him once more. “I think it would be a terrible mistake for you to withdraw. There are certainly no guarantees that you’ll be chosen, but removing yourself from consideration ensures that you won’t be. I can’t caution you enough against acting impetuously, Rose.”

“Of course, I know that.” She sighed. “And I promise not to do anything rash, alright?”

He let out a heavy breath and stopped in front of the memorial statue. Rose stopped beside him and followed his gaze; without even thinking about it, she had reached out and lightly traced her finger along the letters of Uncle Fred’s name while staring at those of the many others. When she saw a shadow fall over the statue, merging with hers, she’d known it was Scorpius, and she spun around, coming face to face with him.

“Rose, I’m sorry–” he began quietly, and although she was still quite irritated with him for not making it back in time to meet her grandparents, she was also trying to curtail it, understanding the conflict he had been going through earlier and not particularly wishing to discuss it in front of her uncle.

“I know,” she replied with a wistful smile as she’d held up her hand to cut him off, “and we’ll do it next time.” She glanced toward Uncle Percy; he was studying the two of them curiously. Rose smiled and introduced Scorpius to him, trying not to sound in any way indignant or aggravated. Rose noticed that Uncle Percy’s eyebrow was quirked and he’d worn a quizzical expression while he shook hands with Scorpius, who she thought had looked somewhat uncomfortable and a bit stiff, and she wondered if perhaps they were both recalling Scorpius’s rejected application.

Almost immediately, Uncle Percy had excused himself, chuckling that Auntie Angelina had threatened him with bodily harm if he wasn’t at The Burrow within half an hour and he needed to tell the Minister “one last thing” before going. “Enjoy the afternoon, you two,” he’d offered, looking pointedly at Scorpius then turning his attention back to Rose. “And please, Rose, consider what I’ve said. I only have your best interests in mind, and I’d hate to see you do something you’ll regret later.”

She’d averted her eyes and nodded. “I know, and I will.”

“Good,” he’d replied simply, nodded politely to Scorpius as he’d walked away, back the way he’d come with her, leaving Rose and Scorpius alone. Her eyes had followed her uncle’s retreating back, waiting until she was sure he was out of earshot, and Scorpius seemed to be doing the same thing, because neither of them spoke right away.

“I hope everything is alright with your grandmother,” Rose said as nonchalantly as she could manage, her gaze now focused on the lake. “That you got her home and everything. You were gone for an awfully long time.”

Scorpius had sighed loudly. “Father was boasting about how well I’d done on our Apparition test, and Grandmother insisted that I demonstrate my skills for her and Grandfather.” He paused, grasping and tugging gently on her hand, and Rose turned around and met his gaze. He smiled weakly. “It’s pathetic, I’m aware, but I have difficulties denying her when she asks me to do something.”

Rose giggled and shook her head. “I know the feeling,” she’d smiled drolly. “I can’t say ‘no’ to either of mine. A bit annoying, really.”

“See, you know what I’m talking about.” Scorpius squeezed her fingers and Rose had allowed him to pull her closer, her irritation having dissipated almost entirely. “So am I forgiven?” he asked quietly. 

She’d heard the sincerity in his voice and grinned at him. She was still disappointed about the turn of events, but she reckoned it really wasn’t fair to be upset with him about it, not when she most likely would have done the same thing in his shoes. “Yeah, I suppose you are. As long as it doesn’t happen again.”

“I’ll do my best,” he’d promised with a smirk, but his tone had been serious. “I truly am sorry.”

“I know,” Rose had repeated, leaning into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, and kissing him tenderly on the cheek, her lips grazing the corner of his mouth. She’d then stepped back and gestured in the direction of the castle. “I’m going back,” she’d announced, flashing him a wide smile. “Are you coming?”

“What’s your hurry?” he’d asked teasingly. “Are you afraid someone will take your favorite spot in the library or something?”

“Hardly,” she chortled. “But it’s been a long day, and I intend to take full advantage of my allotted time in the Prefects’ bathtub since it is my day and all.”

“Well, if that’s the case…can’t have you missing out on that now, can we?” Scorpius had laughed and fallen in step beside her, their hands still clasped, his fingers stroking along hers as they walked along for a moment in silence until he finally broke it just before they reached the courtyard. 

“So that’s your Uncle Percy.”

“That’s my Uncle Percy.”

He’d nodded and sighed quietly. “He certainly seems like a friendly enough fellow.”

“Of course he is,” Rose had insisted earnestly. She understood how Scorpius might’ve questioned it, but his asking it, particularly in that tone of voice, made her oddly defensive nevertheless. Even though she didn’t always agree with them, naturally, she loved and respected all of her aunts and uncles, even if she was closest to Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny, and it pained her to think that someone might doubt the congeniality of any of them, especially in light of the way his grandmother and father had seemed to enjoy her discomfort but her Uncle Percy had treated Scorpius courteously, just as he would have anyone, no matter who they were.

“And what was that he said as he was leaving? Something about you not doing something you’ll regret later?”

“Oh,” Rose had startled, “um…” She hadn’t been sure that he’d been paying attention and she surely hadn’t expected him to ask. 

“It wasn’t about me, was it?” he’d continued, and she’d looked over at him in surprise.

“No. Why would you think it was about you?”

Scorpius shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps because no more than five seconds after he meets me, he’s warning you not to do something you’ll regret.”

“It wasn’t about you. I promise,” Rose had assured him, tightening her fingers intertwined with his. “And he’s only just met you today.”

“But he knows who I am. And if I’m not worthy enough to work at the Ministry, how could I ever consider myself worthy of you?”

“You can’t possibly believe that’s true,” Rose had replied disbelievingly. 

“I didn’t say _I_ believed it,” Scorpius continued, “but that doesn’t mean _he_ doesn’t.”

Rose was torn. While she didn’t want Scorpius to doubt for one second what he meant to her or think that anything anyone else might think would sway her feelings for him, she also felt the need to defend her Uncle Percy – his hands had been tied and he’d had little say so in his rejection of Scorpius’s application, the decision having been made for him no matter who the applicant. Not to mention that her Uncle Percy had been gracious in comparison to his grandmother, who had just been plain old snooty.

“Honestly, Scorpius,” she’d said finally, trying not to sound too exasperated, “he didn’t do or say anything of the sort. Besides, he’s got more on his mind than worrying about my love life, I assure you.” She nudged him in the side with her elbow. “Besides, _I_ believe we deserve each other,” she’d retorted, quirking an eyebrow at him, “no matter what anyone else believes.” 

Scorpius had offered her a half-hearted smirk. “Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s so,” she’d confirmed, a mixture of teasing and defensiveness in her voice. “Isn’t that enough?”

“You know it is,” he replied with a sigh.

“You don’t have to be so enthused about it,” she murmured under her breath, rolling her eyes, releasing his hand, and taking a step back from him. When she met his gaze once more, he had fixed her with a look of uncertainty. “What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me,” Scorpius said. Rose opened her mouth to speak, but he continued, “And don’t deny it because I can tell. You’re skirting around my question and what your uncle was talking about.” 

“It’s nothing really,” she sighed. “I just asked Uncle Percy about withdrawing my Unspeakables application–”

“You what? Are you bloody mental?” he’d demanded in a low voice, taking her by the arm and guiding her toward a group of large trees nearby.

Rose shook her arm free, giving him a defiant look. “I most certainly am not!” 

“Then what do you think you were doing, asking him not to consider your application?”

“I only asked him about it,” she’d insisted. “I didn’t withdraw it. It’s just something that I’ve thought about the past few days.”

“Rose, you can’t…I told you not to… Don’t do this on account of what happened with me–”

“You _told_ me not to?” she’d retorted through gritted teeth. “Last I looked, I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions. And you’re being awfully presumptuous, don’t you think, that I’m doing this because of you?”

“Am I?” Scorpius had fixed her with a skeptical look, only adding to Rose’s indignation. “Are you sure about that? Only a few days ago, you were completely chuffed at the idea and now you’re thinking of not following through? You tell me how it appears.”

He had a point. From that day after Potions class when Pansy had first mentioned it to her to the day she’d asked Neville to submit her application, Rose had grown more and more excited at the prospect of becoming an Unspeakable, and it was only after hearing about Scorpius’s rejection that she’d started to reconsider. But it wasn’t even really about Scorpius any longer; it was about the Ministry and its policies but she couldn’t tell him what she knew without having to tell him everything her parents had told her, and she simply wasn’t going to betray her parents’ trust to better explain it to him. And the fact that he was putting her in that position of having to choose between them infuriated her.

“You know what? Whether I decide to continue with my application or not is up to me,” she’d said, pointing to her chest. “ _My_ decision, no one else’s. And all I did was ask about the possibility of withdrawing it. I didn’t ask him to do it. I simply mentioned that I was having second thoughts and might not want to work for the Ministry after all.”

Scorpius glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Clearly, it’s _your_ decision, but he’s right, you know. Your uncle. You’ll regret it.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You’ll regret it, and somehow, your family will figure out it’s entirely my fault and blame me for it.”

Rose had set her jaw and glared at him as well, convinced that Scorpius was simply trying to goad her into an argument. She had every right to withdraw her application if she chose to, and it would be her decision, not his. And everyone in her family knew well enough that she was headstrong and determined and made her own decisions. Besides, as far as she knew, none of them other than herself, Uncle Percy, and now, her parents, were even privy to the information that Scorpius had applied to be an Unspeakable, and to be perfectly honest, she truly doubted that any of them would even have associated her decision with the fact that he’d been rejected even if they did know.

“That’s rubbish and you know it,” she’d replied tetchily. “And I really don’t understand why you’re making such an issue out of this.”

“This is your future, Rose,” he answered. “And we’re talking about the Department of Mysteries. It’s a big deal.”

“So what if it’s the Department of Mysteries? So what if I’ve simply changed my mind about the Unspeakables? Honestly, why does it make such a difference to you?”

Scorpius narrowed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and took a deep breath. “If you don’t know the answer to that, perhaps I shouldn’t even be here.”

She squared her shoulders and crossed her arms, mirroring him. She was more than a little tempted to respond with a “Then go,” but instead, she’d simply stood there, watching him with the blankest look she could muster, and murmured, “Perhaps not.”

And she’d continued to stand there, trying to look completely emotionless as he’d replied, “Fine,” before turning and storming into the castle without another look or word in her direction.

Rose took several deep breaths of the lavender, biting back tears but wiping away those that had begun to escape. The scent was still strong, but the bubbles of her bath had dissolved into a cloudy film along the top of the now lukewarm water. She looked at her fingers, which were shriveled from being immersed for so long, and with a heavy sigh, she hauled herself out of the tub and began drying off.

She shouldn’t have let him go; she knew that. Yes, she had been irritated by all the questions and the pressure and the accusation in his eyes. She was angry that he’d been so needlessly upset with her and so damned pushy. But she shouldn’t have been so bloody stubborn about the whole thing and she shouldn’t have let him just storm away like that, leaving her standing there, pretending to be strong but feeling as if her heart was breaking into a million pieces.

But why had he been so upset with her? Why had he pushed and provoked and made those snide comments about her family? Why had he taken it so personally that she might be deciding that working for the Ministry wasn’t for her? It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t have a number of other opportunities…The answer hit her like a ton of bricks, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, dropping her towel as her hand flew to her mouth.

“God, Rose, how could you have been so bloody clueless?” she muttered contemptuously. “It isn’t any wonder that he was so upset.”

And now that she was really _thinking_ about it, now that she realized the reason for his reaction, Rose wasn’t at all surprised that Scorpius hadn’t come to find her this time. This epiphany, above all else, was responsible for the tears now streaming down her face. 

Here she was, with this golden opportunity, one that Scorpius had wanted himself and been flatly denied, and she was thinking of throwing it away. 

Had pushed him away defending her license to do so.

And she knew just what she had to do – she had to fix it, mend things with him – and the sooner the better.

She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, picked up her towel, dried herself off, and got dressed quickly, forgoing the stockings which she shoved into the pocket of her robes. Rose had one thing on her mind – she needed to find him and somehow explain to him her renewed reservations with the Ministry without disclosing the things her parents had told her. 

But before anything else, she owed him an apology. Perhaps she hadn’t been solely responsible for their row, but she had prolonged it unnecessarily and, perhaps, had made it worse than it would have been otherwise.

She stopped in front of the mirror, pulling her still wet hair back with a heavy clip and hastily performing a hangover charm.

“You look much better, dearie,” the mirror offered. “Your bath must have done you a world of good.”

“It did. Thanks,” she replied with a smile before unlocking the door and stepping out into the corridor. And as she made her way down the narrow staircases on her way to the dungeons, only remembering to jump over the trick step at the last minute, Rose truly hoped that during the hour she’d spent soaking in the tub, Scorpius had cooled off as well and was now ready to listen.

 


	22. Chapter 22

** Chapter 22 **

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Bernie assured her. “I’ve just come from the dorms and he isn’t in there or in the common room, either.”

“Oh, alright,” she replied, disappointed.

After leaving the Prefects’ bathroom, Rose had gone directly down to the dungeons and spent several minutes waiting in the darkened corridor near the Slytherin common room, hoping to find someone who would let her in or at least fetch Scorpius for her. And she’d been quite relieved to hear a familiar voice follow the sound of the door opening and had watched as Bernie Pritchard – one of Scorpius’s roommates and friends who had always been fairly pleasant with her – had exited along with a tall, stocky boy who Rose recognized as a Slytherin; she was fairly certain he was a seventh year and she’d talked to him once or twice, but she couldn’t remember his name.

Bernie had been friendly enough when she’d approached him, but he hadn’t given her the answer she’d expected or wanted to hear, and now he was clearly wanting to be on his way while his friend was staring at her a bit too appreciatively for her liking.

“And now that I think on it, I haven’t seen him all day…not since he left first thing this morning,” Bernie offered before turning to the other boy. “Oi, Terence, you haven’t seen Scorpius, have you?”

Terence shook his head and Bernie turned back to Rose. “Sorry,” he said with a shrug. “If we happen upon him, d’you want us to tell him something?”

Rose shook her head. “No thanks. He’ll be around shortly, I expect.”

“See you later then,” Bernie said, motioning for Terence to follow and they strode past Rose down the corridor. She heard the two of them chuckling and talking, although she couldn’t make out anything they were saying other than “Malfoy” and “girlfriends” just before they turned the corner.

Rose let out a deep breath and leaned her back against the wall, looking absentmindedly back down the corridor where she knew the Slytherin common room was located, wondering where he might’ve gone. She wasn’t really sure why it was, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Scorpius would go anywhere other than his dormitory and that was the only place she’d even considered looking for him.

Alright, so where might I find you? she thought, running through the numerous places in the castle that he might’ve gone – the library, the Room of Requirement, the Astronomy Tower, the trophy room, one of the classrooms – not to mention the places on the grounds, such as the Quidditch pitch, the greenhouses, or the lake. The list was long but she knew that, sooner or later, she’d get lucky and find him somewhere. And if all else failed, she supposed she could catch up with him at dinner, although that prospect was not at all appealing.

She glanced once more to the common room’s location before pushing away from the wall and walking in the direction of the staircase, murmuring, “Well, he can’t have disappeared; he has to be here somewhere.”

“And what do we have here? Talking to yourself, are you? I always suspected it was only a matter of time.”

She whirled around with a start, coming face to face with Rory, who was standing in the doorway to his mother’s darkened classroom, leaning against the doorframe.

“Oh! Rory, hullo.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but what were you saying?”

He smirked. “You’re aware, aren’t you, that talking to yourself is a sign that you may have finally gone mental.”

Rose looked at him questioningly, the phrase, “What the hell?” running through her mind. Rory was grinning at her and trying to make a joke? It was one thing for him to be cordial, as he had been ever since that day he’d been so rude to her about dating Scorpius, but for him to act openly friendly was another entirely.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least,” she replied dryly, fixing him with a quizzical look. “Rory, what are you doing in there, in the dark?”

“Just waiting.” His lips spread into an unconscious grin, which disappeared almost as quickly when he apparently realized he was wearing it.

“Waiting? For what?”

“Someone,” he replied cryptically. “Besides, I belong down here. I should be asking you what you’re doing, skulking around here all alone, in the dungeons.”

Rose hesitated for a moment, biting at her fingernail. She didn’t trust Rory Zabini as far as she could throw him, and he was the last person she would tell anything personal to. But he was Scorpius’s best friend, and if anyone might have an idea where he had gone, it would be Rory. Besides, there was levity to his voice today, and Rose thought, perhaps, he’d be of assistance rather than a hindrance.

“Well, I was supposed to meet up with Scorpius, but he wasn’t in your common room,” she fibbed, crossing her fingers behind her back as she told herself that what she’d told him wasn’t entirely untrue. “You haven’t seen him, have you?”

“Last I saw him, he was with you.” Rory smirked. “You know, after the ceremony. When you were with his parents and his grandmother.”

Picking up on his teasing tone, Rose giggled nervously. “Yeah, but as you can see, I’ve lost him since then.”

“Clearly,” Rory retorted with a chuckle then looked at her seriously. “So, how did that go? Meeting Mrs. Malfoy, I mean.”

Rose studied him for a moment, trying to deduce the motives behind his questions. She knew better than to tell him what she’d really thought of Scorpius’s grandmother; that was an opinion reserved solely for Al, and possibly Ellie. But Rory certainly seemed to be genuinely interested and, oddly enough, sympathetic. “Oh, it went…well, I suppose. As well as could be expected under the circumstances, with the memorial and the crowd and all.”

“Yeah. You know, that was a good speech your uncle gave.” He glanced distractedly around Rose. “And Scorpius must’ve been rightfully chuffed about you getting along with her. He’d really wanted it to go well.” Rose followed his gaze and looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing but the empty corridor behind her before turning back to face him, wondering precisely who was responsible for bringing out this side of him, a side which she thought was much improved and one she could easily see herself wanting to be good friends with.

“I suppose. And speaking of Scorpius…I’m going to see if I can hunt him down.” She flashed him a wide smile and gestured haphazardly behind her as she turned to go. “See you.”

Rory smiled back, calling after her, “Yeah, later.”

Rose gave only a moment’s more thought to the oddness of his behavior before refocusing on her task at hand. She glanced at her watch as she climbed the steps up to the main level, breezing by someone with curly brown hair wearing Hufflepuff robes but not paying any attention to her identity, her thoughts once again focused on her boyfriend’s whereabouts. She reached the entry hall and looked around distractedly. It was too early yet for dinner, so she couldn’t imagine that Scorpius would be in the Great Hall; nevertheless, she poked her head inside and looked around just to be sure, not at all surprised but disappointed anyway when she found it empty.

So she started back up the stairs, supposing that the trophy room was as good a place to start as any.

* * * *

Rose sighed heavily as she passed through the portrait hole and entered into the Gryffindor common room feeling somewhat dejected, having spent the last hour searching the castle to no avail. As usual, the room was loud, and with it being so close to dinnertime, there were quite a few people hanging about. Her eyes quickly scanned the room; she was vaguely looking for Al to at least listen to her troubles, if not commiserate with her. And then she saw him, sitting at the far table over by the window, talking with Simon Macmillan.

Her heart pounded as she walked toward them, and she fought to keep her breathing steady. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but she was somewhat unnerved to find Scorpius so deep in conversation with Simon. And her uneasiness was heightened when she saw Scorpius shake his head and heard him say “…you can’t tell me she’s worth all that,” as Rose came up behind them, both boys practically jumping out of their seats when she reached out tentatively and touched him on the shoulder, mumbling, “Hi.”

“Hey…uh, hullo,” Simon stuttered, looking quite as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been. Scorpius’s expression, on the other hand, was unreadable, and Rose’s heartbeat sped up, her eyes locking on his as neither of them spoke but simply stared at the other for what seemed like ages.

Finally, she asked softly, “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you,” Scorpius replied almost matter-of-factly, as if she should have expected him to be there. “And it certainly took you long enough to get here. Where have you been? I expected you an hour ago.”

“I’ve been all over the castle looking for you. To the dungeons, the trophy room, most of our classrooms, the library…everywhere I could think of that you’d possibly go. But I never expected you’d be here.”

“Where else would I be?” he responded, his voice low, as he reached for Rose’s hand, eliciting a shy smile.

Simon cleared his throat and gestured awkwardly to the portrait hole. “So, um…I’ll just…” he pushed his chair under the table and turning to go. “See you downstairs then.”

“Oi, Macmillan…”

Simon looked around and Scorpius extended a hand, looking at him sincerely. “Thanks, mate.”

“Don’t mention it, Malfoy,” he said, shaking his hand with a slight nod and smile before turning to Rose, offering her a grin, and walking away.

“That was…odd,” Rose remarked, watching Simon’s retreating back as he exited the room before turning back to Scorpius. “I mean, it was surprising to see you sitting there with Simon, of all people.

“I thought you’d be pleased –”

“I am… but…Simon? I mean, you two don’t even really like each other all that much.”

“No, but he was here.” Scorpius sighed. “I went to the Prefects’ bathroom to talk to you, but it was locked and I couldn’t get inside. So I came up here to wait and Macmillan let me in. I offered to sit here alone – actually, I told him that I preferred to be alone – but he insisted upon sticking around.”

“Alright.” Rose still felt slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Scorpius having just spent the past hour with her ex-boyfriend; even as she told herself that it was terribly narcissistic, she couldn’t help wondering if they’d talked about her, and if they had, the things they’d said. Not to mention she was more than a little interested to know what they’d been discussing when she walked up.

Scorpius squeezed her hand. “Surprisingly, I had a rather pleasant time talking with him.”

“Oh yeah?” she said as casually as she could, and Scorpius smirked at her knowingly.

“Interested in knowing if we talked about you, are you?” he teased, raising his eyebrow at her. “If you’ll stop pouting, I’ll tell you that we mostly discussed Quidditch and whether that new Chaser for the Bats is worth what they’re paying her. And other than the reason I’m here, we didn’t discuss you. I promise.” He chuckled ironically. “I suppose he’s not such a bad bloke after all.”

“No, he’s not,” Rose agreed softly, feeling a great deal of her apprehension dissipate. “He’s a rather nice one, actually. I think you’d be good friends if you wanted to be.”

Scorpius shrugged. “Yeah, perhaps,” he muttered. “But I would’ve rather spent the last hour with you.”

“Scorpius, I’m really sor–”

“Oi, Malfoy!” a loud, jovial voice rang out from across the room, cutting her off, and Rose huffed in frustration at the interruption then plastered a less than genuine smile on her face. James’s laughter grew louder as he crossed the room toward them. “Don’t you have a common room of your own to arse around in? Why do you feel the need to bring your Slytherin arse into ours?”

Scorpius glanced over to him and smirked. “I thought yours was sorely in need of a bit of class, what with the likes of you. You’re simply lacking in style, Potter,” he drawled, dropping Rose’s hand and crossing his arms over his chest as he turned to face James, slipping into what Rose had secretly dubbed as his ‘Smooth Slytherin’ act, which he reserved almost exclusively for James, although she noted that he seemed to be lacking his usual enthusiasm and effort to goad him tonight.

“It’s substance over style, mate,” James retorted. “Substance,” he pointed to his own chest and flashed a cocky grin, “over style,” then thumped Scorpius on the arm and sniggered as the two of them continued ribbing each other.

Rose let out a deep breath, her gaze shifting between the boys and the other Gryffindor students exiting for dinner and she excused herself when she saw Al coming down the stairs from the boys’ dormitory, although she wasn’t entirely sure that either Scorpius or James noticed when she left.

Al looked far less amused at Scorpius’s presence than James had and he threw an arm around Rose’s shoulder rather possessively. “I see he’s finally found you,” he said crossly, glaring across the room at Scorpius.

Rose was taken aback at the quiet forcefulness in Al’s tone and she furtively dug her elbow into his ribs, scowling at him.

“What?” he asked defensively. “You waited all afternoon for him to show. Has he said where he was and what happened?”

Of course, Al didn’t know about the events of the afternoon occurring after he and Ellie had left, and at this point, Rose didn’t see the need to go into much detail. “He had things he had to do with his family, and everything is fine, Al.” She grinned and nudged him in the ribs again, playfully this time. “And now he has to come to the Burrow, which is much, much worse, don’t you think?”

The frown on his face faded. “Yeah, I suppose that’s punishment enough.” Al looked at her seriously as he began guiding her in Scorpius and James’s direction. “You’re really okay with everything?”

“Hmm hmm. I promise.”

“Alright. If you’re good, then I’m good.” Al squeezed her shoulder and rolled his eyes at his brother, whose guffaw echoed through the now nearly-empty room. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“And on that note,” James announced, “it’s dinnertime.” He gestured to the exit, glancing curiously at Scorpius and Rose when they didn’t follow his lead. “Aren’t you two coming?”

“I’m not really hungry,” Scorpius answered as Rose shook her head and replied, “I don’t believe so.”

“Neither of you are hungry, eh? Well, do remember that you’re with my cousin, won’t you, Malfoy. And in my common room. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“I reckon that doesn’t exclude anything then, does it?” Rose retorted, and she could swear that James actually held his head higher and began strutting, offering them a backwards wave as he strode through the exit. Scorpius sniggered, and Rose closed her eyes and shook her head, incredulous at James’s nerve. Although she quickly put all thoughts of James aside when she realized that she was finally alone with Scorpius, and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her intently.

“Rose, about this afternoon –”

“I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier,” she interrupted, impatient to apologize to him in earnest and not giving him an opportunity to stop her. “I’ll admit, I was really disappointed when you didn’t make it back in time to meet Gran and Granddad, and that was the biggest part of it. But then it seemed like you were insinuating that my Uncle Percy had been rude to you or something when he hadn’t been anything but really polite to you. And I was still uptight after meeting your grandmother, and it was all just a bit too much. And I know I was dreadful to you, but I couldn’t stop myself.” She bit her lip and looked at him imploringly. “I wouldn’t blame you if you were still cross with me – you have every right to be – but you have to know that I truly am sorry. And I know I made things worse today, and if I could go back and do it all over, I would. But you can’t blame me entirely…”

“Rose –”

“I mean, you promised you’d come back and then you didn’t –”

“Rose –”

“And yes, I was insensitive,” she continued as if he hadn’t tried to interrupt her twice, irrationally unable to stop herself from talking, “but you pushed and pushed me about Uncle Percy and I said things before I thought them over, but –”

“Stop. Just stop!” he exclaimed, putting one of his hands over her mouth and shaking his head in amused frustration, muttering, “Honestly! Just shut it for a minute, alright?” He removed his hand. “I do have a few things I’d like to say, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” she replied, looking at him sheepishly.

“I’m not upset with you, okay? I was cross with you earlier, but I’m over it…I was over it fairly quickly. But that said, I have to tell you that I am really tired of rowing with you, Rose,” he said seriously. You can’t tell me you aren’t tired of letting all this shit come between us as well.”

“I am,” she replied softly. “Honestly,” she insisted. “And I especially don’t like arguing with you.”

“I don’t think it’s purposeful, but…” he sat down in the nearest chair, pulling her into his lap, “Now don’t take this the wrong way, but there are times when you let your temper get the best of you, and you take it out on those of us closest to you.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he shook his head and continued, “And there are times when it’s almost like you want to argue with me…almost for fun…and even when things get out of control, you don’t let things go…you’ve still got to win, no matter that it isn’t really a competition in the first place.” He sighed. “This isn’t class or Quidditch, you know. This is us, and we’re not in competition when it involves us or the Unspeakables. With this, I’m always on your side."

Thinking on it and hearing him say it aloud, Rose realized that he was right – she did oftentimes let her temper control her emotions and she could recall times when she’d provoked him, that afternoon being a prime example. And while she didn’t do it for fun, there were times when she had no real reason for arguing with him – and others – for no real reason other than proving her point.

“I know,” she agreed, wiping at the few tears she was unable to keep at bay.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Scorpius said, reaching over and tenderly wiping her cheek. “I know how passionate you are, and it’s one of the things I love about you. But I don’t want any more of these silly rows.” He kissed her forehead gently and chuckled lightly. “I expect we’ll have enough of them in the normal course of things.”

“Yeah, I expect so,” she agreed, her lips curving into a slight smile. “I really didn’t mean to –”

“I know you didn’t, and I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m also not blaming you for today; it was my fault, too. I told you I’d try to be back and spend time with your family and I wasn’t. But, tell me, truthfully, if it had been the other way around and you’d been making the choice between your family and mine, what would you have done in my shoes?”

“The same thing you did, I expect,” she admitted.

“You know you would have,” he muttered, arching an eyebrow at her. “And you were right about the Ministry stuff – I shouldn’t have been so pushy.”

Rose shook her head. “No, I understand. I didn’t even think about how you wanted it first, and here I am, taking it all for granted,” she sniffled. “And that’s why you care so much about whether or not I go through with it.”

“Is that what you think?” he asked incredulously. “That I’m jealous –”

“Oh no, not that you’re jealous.” She shook her head emphatically. “But that it’s something that you wanted – something that really should be yours – and I’m the one with the possibility of doing it, and…” she fretfully nibbled on her fingernail as she studied him, “…you don’t want me to miss out on it.”

“I won’t lie and say that I don’t care about it,” Scorpius said in a quiet but firm voice. “It winds me up that I’m not even given the chance to prove myself, based upon my achievements, but I know I’ll have plenty of other options besides the Ministry, and I’ll make the most of those, rest assured.”

“I know you will,” she declared softly, caressing his hand in hers as they rested in her lap. “And they’ll be lucky to have you.”

“But that’s not why I don’t want you to withdraw your application.” He looked at her intently, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it tenderly. “I’ve seen how enthusiastic you’ve been about this, more than anything else career-wise since I’ve known you. You can’t deny it. And if you didn’t go through with it…I know for certain you’d regret it.”

“It’s just…there are other things…things I don’t really want to discuss yet that have made me think about reconsidering, not only what’s happened with you. But yeah, the prospect of being an Unspeakable really appeals to me.”

“Plus you’ll be bloody brilliant at it, and I hate to see you throw away the opportunity.” He kissed her gently on the lips. “So have you figured it out yet? Don’t you see – I care about your future because I care about you, Rose,” he paused and took a deep breath, his eyes boring intently into hers, “that, and because I plan on being around for it.”

Her heart leapt and without giving it a second thought, she kissed him fervently. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips, sniffling and wiping at her new round of tears that had started flowing.

“Don’t cry,” he muttered, wiping her cheek tenderly. “I love you, too.” His arms tightened around her waist. “But I’m serious about not wanting to fight with you anymore.”

She brushed his hair back from his forehead and fiddled with the hair at the nape of his neck with her other hand. “I know. I don’t want to, either. No matter that it may appear otherwise, I well and truly hate rowing with you. Although…” she giggled softly, “you have to admit that the making up is brilliant.”

Electricity flowed through her when he leaned into her hand and his lips touched her palm, a grin playing over his lips and in his eyes. “That it is,” he agreed, running his fingers lightly up her leg and underneath her skirt, gripping her thigh when she grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face to meet hers, melting into his arms and kissing him until they were both breathless.

And not for the first time, Rose regretted terribly that she couldn’t invite Scorpius up the stairs to her room.

“D’you…I suppose we should go…” Scorpius said, looking distractedly over her shoulder toward the portrait hole. “Dinner will be over –”

“And everyone’ll be back.” She stared at him intently, practically drowning in his eyes, which were rich with love and desire, hoping that her eyes reflected the same intense feelings for him. “Can’t we just –”

“D’you want to go to my room? Would that be alright? I mean, since no one is in there and...”

“Yes,” Rose answered emphatically as she disentangled herself from his lap and tugged on his arm, thinking just how perfect that would be.

Scorpius’s hand slipped into hers and they practically sprinted down the stairs to the dungeons. As they passed by Professor Zabini’s classroom, Rose giggled and pulled on Scorpius’s arm to stop him.

“What are you doing?” he asked over her shoulder while she stuck her head inside the room, finding it completely empty.

“I ran into Rory earlier, and he was waiting on someone in here.” She waggled her eyebrows and grinned. “And he was really…I don’t know…friendly. I wanted to personally thank the person who’d brought about such a change in him.”

“Yeah, he has been quite different this time.” Scorpius snickered. “And she certainly keeps him guessing. I don’t recall him ever having to work so hard before.”

They stopped at the entrance to the common room and Rose stood back, allowing him to whisper the password and it opened for them.

“I figured it had to be a new girl. But who’s he with?” she continued as they continued along through the Slytherin common room.

“You know that seventh year Hufflepuff prefect?”

“Do you mean…? Rory is going out with Laurel?” she asked in disbelief, gaping at Scorpius when he nodded. “Is he really? Since when?”

“A few weeks, I suppose.” He shrugged. “Haven’t I mentioned it?”

“No,” Rose replied ardently. “I definitely would’ve remembered that.”

“You seem surprised.”

“I am. Very surprised, actually. She doesn’t seem his type at all.”

“Yeah, well…he says he fancies her in the worst way.”

“Perhaps so, but I’ll bet he hasn’t told his parents yet,” Rose mumbled, remembering all those terribly mean things Rory had said to her when she and Scorpius were first together, about how it was okay to date non-pureblood witches but that it couldn’t become more serious than that, and she wondered if he still believed those same things now that he was going out with Laurel Finch-Fletchley, whose dad was a wizard but whose mum, everyone knew, was a Muggle.

“I dunno; he hasn’t said. Although it would be hard for him to hide it from his mum, considering she’s a professor here and all,” Scorpius said somewhat offhandedly. He pushed open the door to his dorm room, holding it open for her to enter, a seductive grin breaking over his face. “But you don’t really want to talk about Rory, do you?”

“No,” she replied, pushing his back against the wall and sliding her tongue up his neck.

“Dear god, Rose,” he moaned when she ran the tip of her tongue along the shell of his ear; his hands moved from her lower back and into her hair, and he pulled his head away just long enough to guide her face to meet his in a deep, searching kiss.

When they finally broke apart to breath, Scorpius murmured, “Sit…bed…” against her lips, and she nodded, reluctantly extricating herself from his arms and giving up the incredibly sexy position of having him pressed with his back against the wall. She stopped in front of his desk to toe off her shoes before plopping down in the center of his bed while Scorpius excused himself to the loo. She pulled her legs up, sitting cross-legged, casually glancing around the room and waiting on him to return. As they often did, two small framed photograph sitting next to his alarm clock on his bedside table – one of her flying at her grandparents’ house the previous summer and one of her and Scorpius taken just before the Gryffindor/Slytherin match their fifth year – caught her eye, bringing a smile to her face, and she leaned forward to pick up the second one in order get a closer look.

She was still studying the photograph when she heard Scorpius come back into the room.

“What do you have there?” he asked and she turned, holding it up.

“I really love this one,” she said, feeling him sliding onto the bed behind her.

“You do remember we beat you last year, don’t you?” Scorpius teased, pecking her on the cheek when she huffed.

“Yeah, I remember.” She pouted jokingly. “I remember you just barely outflew me.”

“Well, I remember taking that photograph,” he said, brushing the hair from her neck, his breath hot in her ear, causing Rose to shiver and lean back into his chest, “and how good you felt in my arms,” his lips moved up her neck, “how your breasts felt pressed against my chest,” his hand slid inside the front of her blouse, “how desperately I wanted to kiss you but wasn’t allowed to.”

Rose moaned as Scorpius’s lips found hers. He’d told her more than once that he’d fancied her for years, but each time he mentioned it, she felt not only a sense of regret that they’d wasted time by not being together but also a sense of excitement because they had so much to look forward to.

And even more than before, tonight, his promise for the future ran through her head. “I care about your future because I care about you. And because I plan on being around for it.”

She dropped the photograph into her lap and snaked an arm back and into his hair, holding his face tightly against hers. She ignored the strain in her neck from the awkward position and instead focused on the brilliant sensations he was sending throughout her body as he tweaked her nipples through the thin cotton bra and his tongue stroked hers and he pressed his erection against her hip. And when their lips finally broke apart, it was only long enough for her to shift in his arms to face him and whisper, “I love you” before kissing him again with abandon.

Scorpius laid back and Rose followed suit, lying on top of him. His hands roamed her body, up her ribcage, underneath her skirt, squeezing and caressing her as she moved sensually over him. And she ached for more, not only to make love with him, but to lie with him, uninterrupted, to sleep with him all night, and to wake up next to him and possibly make love again.

And she felt a rush of anticipation when he flipped her over before closing the bed curtains with a flick of his wand and Imperturbing them with another before tossing it down to the end of his bed and turning back to her, wearing that smirk she so adored and a naughty expression she couldn’t wait to exploit. And as she sat up on her knees in front of him and began unbuttoning his shirt, Rose plotted exactly how she was going to make everything up to him, to prove to him just how sorry she was that they’d ever rowed in the first place, and how bloody brilliant it would be doing so.


	23. Chapter 23

  
Author's notes: _a/n:  So many thanks to my betas, who were ever so patient with me yet again and ignored the two earlier times I sent them this chapter and changed my mind.  I love you guys!!_  


* * *

** Chapter 23 **

“As we must, it is time to bid farewell to another successful year.  The staff and I would like to thank you all for your hard work and congratulate you on your many accomplishments.  We would also like to acknowledge our class of seventh years, who have certainly kept us on our toes and given us plenty of excitement these last several years.”  Headmistress Vector cleared her throat then took a sip before continuing, “And now, for the final points tally in one of the closest contests we’ve had in many years.  In fourth place, with three hundred forty-two points, Hufflepuff.”

Rose sat between Al and Hugo, and the three of them joined in the polite applause always afforded to the fourth place House.  She glanced over to the Hufflepuff table where Lily and her friends dutifully clapped halfheartedly, clearly disappointed at coming in last place.  Up at the head table, Professor Gaspar looked pleased nevertheless, clapping heartily, no matter that his House hadn’t managed to build on its second place finish in the previous year.

“And in third place, with three hundred sixty-eight points, Ravenclaw.”

At the next table, the Ravenclaws broke out in applause.  It wasn’t what Rose would call exuberant but it was substantially more spirited than the Hufflepuffs’ reaction.  Rose clapped a bit louder herself, grinning as she stretched around to where Ellie and Diana were sitting.

“And in second place, with three hundred seventy-three points, Slytherin.”

The applause for the second-place team was slightly louder still, although there were now mumblings coming from the Ravenclaw table, where several students were voicing their annoyance at having finished third behind Slytherin by only five points, and from the seventh years at the Slytherin table, who were bemoaning the fact that they’d lost the House Cup after having it for the previous two years.  She turned and caught sight of Scorpius and his friends congratulating themselves and not seeming terribly distressed at having relinquished it this year.

Headmistress Vector smiled brightly and motioned to the banner of scarlet and gold and bearing the Gryffindor Lion which hung behind the head table.  “And last but certainly not least, with three hundred eighty-seven points, congratulations to Gryffindor for reclaiming the House Cup.”

Applause rang throughout the Great Hall, the loudest naturally from those seated around her at the Gryffindor table, amid a smattering of lighthearted ‘boos’ from the other tables, and Rose clapped loudly and cheered, pride surging through her.  Gryffindor had only won the House Cup one other time in the six years she’d been at Hogwarts:  her second year, thanks to the undefeated Quidditch season captained by her cousin, Karla, although they’d come in a close second in her third, the year her cousin, Alexander, had been Head Boy, and she felt a strong sense of accomplishment, knowing that she’d contributed a bit to their winning it again this year through Quidditch and being top student in her class once again, as confirmed by exam scores released just that morning.

She looked across the table and laughed at James and Cameron as they stood and good-humoredly taunted Edgar Davidson, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, by chanting, “Go, go, Gryff-in-dor,” and pointing to the Head Table where Neville was holding the Quidditch Cup aloft, wearing a huge grin of his own.  In retaliation to James and Cameron and the twenty or so other Gryffindor boys who’d joined them, including Al, Hugo, and Fred, several of the Slytherin students, Scorpius and Rory among them, were standing as well and shouting, “Wait ‘til next year!” and “Enjoy it while you can!” across the Great Hall.

Before Rose knew it, she, along with nearly every student at all four of the tables, were standing and cheering for their respective Houses, and the Great Hall was filled with noise, each group trying to outdo the others.  Most of the professors, even the most serious of them, stood and clapped as well but only Neville had actually joined in with the chanting.  From her spot next to him, Professor Zabini was laughing and waggling her finger in what looked to be playful threats, although, knowing her professor, Rose surmised that Zabini most likely meant everything she was saying, no matter that she was jovial about it.  For her part, Headmistress Vector remained standing at the center of the Head Table, an amused look on her face as she surveyed the scene.  She was certainly a staunch proponent of unity between the Houses and, judging from the things that Rose had heard from her mum, had been for years, but throughout the six years Rose had been attending Hogwarts, the Headmistress had likewise encouraged a healthy competition between them, and she was clearly enjoying the good-natured ribbing between the students nearly as much as Neville was.  

Rose looked over again to the Slytherin table and caught Scorpius’s eye, her smile widening as he winked and raised his goblet in salute, and she followed suit, nodding and lifting hers as well before turning back to clink it with Al in an exaggerated toast.

After several minutes, Headmistress Vector raised her hands, and the celebration abated so that she could continue.  “In closing, I am obligated to remind all students under the age of fifteen that, with the limited exception for coursework to be completed before you return in the fall, you are banned from using magic away from school.”  She rolled her eyes and sighed, and Rose exchanged an amused look with Hugo and Al.  In addition to her other campaigns, the Headmistress was a very outspoken proponent of abolishing the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery entirely, a view shared wholeheartedly by their mum and Auntie Ginny who also believed that children should be authorized to use their magic no matter their age so long as they were properly supervised by their parents and had, therefore, allowed their children to do so for as long as Rose could remember.  But for all her attempts and arguments in support of her ideas, Headmistress Vector had only managed to convince the Wizengamot to lower the cutoff age from seventeen to fifteen, and she had given this exact reluctant and lackadaisical reminder to the students at the close of every year.

“And with that final announcement,” she said, her jovial tone having returned, “I bid you all a delightful summer and look forward to the start of another successful year on September first.”

The cheering and applause resumed, and Rose felt a surge of excitement racing through her.  She dropped to the bench and watched as many of the students began filtering out of the Great Hall, including Hugo and Fred, while others remained to finish their meals.  Beside her, Al reached across the table, took the last éclair, and set it on his plate before sitting down, still grinning from ear to ear.

“The Headmistress may be loony,” Cameron remarked as he took his seat across from them, “but you have to give her this – she sure can work a room.”

“No arguments there.”  James clapped Cameron on the shoulder as he sat down on his other side.  “Well, Longbottom, it’s been quite the ride.”

“That it has.”  Cameron chuckled slyly, which James mirrored.

“Any regrets?”

“Not a one, Potter,” Cameron replied as he glanced over to the far end of the Hufflepuff table, where Johanna Cadwallader was talking animatedly with her friends.  He turned back to smirk at James whose gaze had followed.  “No, mate.  Not. A. One.”

“I’m with you on that,” James agreed.  “Oi, d’you remember that time in fifth year when you fancied Sophia Rizzo and we snuck into the Slytherin changing rooms –” he began, only to be cut off by Al.

“Spare us the details of your debauchery, won’t you?  Some of us would like to finish our desserts, y’know.”

“Jealous, are we, little brother?  At least you still have the summer to benefit from our tutelage,” James smirked with a nod toward Cameron, “since you still have _so_ much left to learn.”  He reached across the table and grabbed the éclair out of Al’s hand, ignoring his brother’s exasperated “Oi!” as he took a large bite and tossed it onto Al’s plate.

“And this promises to be the best summer yet,” Cameron continued, nudging James with his elbow.  “One more week, mate.”

“What’s happening in a week?” Rose asked off-handedly, looking curiously at Cameron.

“Freedom,” James replied with a contented sigh.  “Unadulterated freedom.”

“They move into their flat next week,” Al explained and Cameron nodded excitedly.  

“That’s right.  No more curfews or restrictions –”

“And no more Mum breathing down my neck and watching my every move,” James interjected.  He winked at Al.  “Let’s see how you like being the focus of her attention.”

“She’ll hardly pay me any mind,” Al retorted with a smirk.  “I’m the ‘good son’, remember?  Mum and Dad’ll focus more attention on Lils now that she’s fifteen and has boyfriends.”

“The ‘good son’, you say?” James quirked an eyebrow at his brother.  “That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“What the devil are you talking about?” Al demanded, lowering his voice so that only the four of them could hear.

“Rumor has it that you’ve been ‘entertaining’ of late, is all,” James answered with a knowing look.  “I wonder what Mum would say it if she knew what you’ve been up to with a certain Ravenclaw we all know and admire.” 

_Oh bloody hell_ , Rose thought as she glanced at Al.  His face was flushed and he glared at James with a look that screamed for him to _shut the hell up_.  And she understood precisely why, having sat through the details from Ellie – rather uncomfortably, to be sure – about all that had been transpiring between her and Al the past couple of weeks in the sixth year boys’ dormitory.  It wasn’t all-out sex yet, although from everything Ellie had said, Rose anticipated that she’d been hearing about _that_ soon enough as well, but she had been made privy to the fact that Al had declared those all-important ‘three little words’ and she knew that James had unwittingly hit a nerve with his brother.

Al took a deep breath before turning back to Rose.  “Won’t it be grand to _finally_ be ‘James-free’ next year?” he remarked, clearly trying to maintain a steady, emotionless voice.  “Just think how much better our lives will be.”

Cameron snickered, the implications of James’s comments and Al’s response evident.  For his part, James exaggeratedly put his hand over his heart, an equally exaggeratedly forlorn expression on his face.

“You’ve wounded me, Albus.  Truly.”  

He held his brother’s eyes, an apologetic look passing between them, and Al rolled his eyes.  “Oh, I expect you’ll survive,” he replied before giving in to a hint of a grin.  Rose knew that no matter how much of a pain in the arse James was at times – and he could be a _tremendous_ pain in the arse – Al adored his older brother and would, in fact, miss his presence at Hogwarts next year.

“Yeah, I suspect I will,” James agreed.  “I always do.”  He looked around to the Ravenclaw table where Diana was getting up, waggled his eyebrows, and pushed back from the table.  “Later, kiddies.  There’s much to do while the night is still young.”  He jerked his head in his girlfriend’s direction and asked Cameron, “You coming?”

“Be right there,” Cameron answered with a nod.  He took a swig of his juice as he stood and began following James before stopping and coming back toward Rose and Al.

“Oh yeah, Rose, I nearly forgot.  Thanks for tonight.  I appreciate you taking on patrols.  I know it’s last minute and all but –”

“Wait!  What?” she asked.  “I’m doing patrols?”

Cameron sniggered.  “Surprised, are you?  Take it up with Malfoy,” he continued with a grin as he walked away, calling over his shoulder, “He said you’d be happy to do them.”

~*~*~*~

Two hours later, Rose made her way back downstairs for patrols, fighting the urge to return Scorpius’s grin as he leaned against the banister at the bottom of the marble staircase, waiting for her to come down. 

“Thanks ever so much for volunteering me for patrols tonight,” she said in mock irritation as she stopped on the bottom step above him.  “The least you could’ve done was told me yourself instead of sending Cameron to do your dirty work.”

“Well, you know how I _abhor_ getting my hands dirty,” he replied cheekily, meeting her look with one of his own.  “Interrupting something important, are we?”

“ _Very_ ,” she retorted.  “Thanks to you, I have to get up early –”

“At nine instead of half-past?”

Rose ignored his remark.  “– and finish packing –”

“The horror of doing it all with one flick of your wand rather than two,” he supplied in a dead-pan voice.

“– _and_ ,” she continued, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow at him, “forcing me to miss Miriam’s last tell-all of the term.”

“Hmm.  That _is_ quite the tragedy, isn’t it?  I sincerely apologize,” Scorpius said, shaking his head in mock sympathy.  He stepped up to the step she was standing on and forced her back against the banister.  “Will you allow me to try and make it up to you?”

“I’m counting on it,” she said softly, doing her best to try and keep up with their banter but finding it difficult with his body pressed so tightly against hers.  “You owe me, Malfoy.  Big.”

“I’m certain I can come up with something,” he whispered, their lips barely apart.  

Rose closed her eyes and her breath caught when his lips slid over and between hers.  

_Sweet Merlin, I love him_ , she thought as she slid her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him close, wishing it could be even closer.  It never ceased to amaze her how quickly her body responded to his touch – who the hell was she kidding, from simply being _near_ him – and how easily he made her lose control, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to push him back against the other banister and seduce him there.  

But before their kisses escalated into something more, she pulled back, her chest heaving and her breath heavy.  “We _do_ have patrols since you were kind enough to volunteer us and all.”

“Yeah, I know.”  He took a deep breath and ran one hand through his hair.  “Can’t blame a bloke for trying,” he muttered as he took her by the hand and they walked down the stairs towards the dungeons.  “Of course, we _could_ just skive them off …”

“Do you have somewhere you need to be?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow in his direction.

“No, but I have somewhere I’d _rather_ be,” he answered matter-of-factly, “and something I’d _much rather_ be doing.”

“You mean you don’t fancy catching everyone and his brother getting in one last shag before leaving in the morning?” she retorted with a chuckle.

“Hardly.”  He glanced over at her, grinning slyly as he released her hand and slipped his arm around her shoulders.  “As a matter of fact,” he drawled in her ear, “I prefer my own shag with you up in the Room of Requirement.”

“Is that so?” Rose bit back a giggle and shrugged his arm off of her.  “You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you, Malfoy?”

“Shouldn’t I be?” he replied in a teasing tone.

“I never said I’d go to the Room of Requirement with you,” Rose continued.  “In fact, I’m actually feeling quite tired tonight.”  To emphasize her point, she faked a wide yawn and exaggerated stretch.  “I reckon I’ll be retiring to my room straight away once we’re finished.”  She paused for a moment, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she sighed and grinned as innocently as she could, then leaned her head in towards his.  “Or perhaps I could just retire to _your_ room once we’re finished,” she said quietly.  “I’m sure I could get a very good night’s sleep in your bed, couldn’t I?” 

Scorpius sucked in a deep breath and practically growled, “Fuck patrols,” as he took her by the hand and pulled her into a hidden cupboard a short distance down the corridor.  Once inside, he pressed her back against the wall.

“I’m fairly certain I can perk you up,” he said quietly, running his tongue up the side of her neck, “since you’re so tired,” and Rose shivered at the feel of his fingers moving underneath the hem of her blouse and up her stomach.

She gripped his bum tightly and pulled his lower body roughly against hers, wrapping one leg around his calf.  “I trust you’ll give it your best shot,” she mumbled into his ear before raking her teeth over his earlobe, rather pleased with herself when his hand reached its destination and he discovered that she’d neglected _that_ particular piece of lingerie for the evening.

Scorpius audibly groaned and managed to choke out, “Not a problem,” before kissing her very soundly and proceeding to prove his point.

~*~*~*~

“Merlin, can eleven o’clock get here any faster?  Not that this year hasn’t been mostly brilliant, but honestly, I just want to get home, don’t you?”

Rose sighed silently as she looked out the window, watching the students who’d started congregating in front of the castle, their excitement about going home evident, even from her vantage point in Gryffindor Tower.  She, on the other hand, didn’t exactly share their excitement.  Or Camille’s.

“I can’t wait to see Noah!  Did I tell you he was coming to Kings Cross and that he has something planned for us every night this week?”

“Uh huh,” Rose murmured, thinking how fortunate Camille was to live basically next door to her long-time boyfriend, Noah Davies, who’d finished school two years before and was now working for the Ministry, and to get to see him nearly any time she wanted to. 

“And this will be the best holiday yet,” Camille continued, apparently oblivious to Rose’s distraction and not waiting for a reply, which was probably for the better since Rose didn’t have a response anyway.  “I’m still positively gobsmacked that Mum and Dad said he could join us on our holiday to Bombay.  I mean, how bloody brilliant are they?”  

Rose took a deep breath and sighed, feeling a bit guilty when a somewhat bitter ‘Sounds lovely’ ran through her mind.  She certainly didn’t begrudge her friend’s happiness or excitement, but damn it all, she couldn’t help being terribly envious that Camille’s parents liked her boyfriend well enough to actually invite him to accompany them on summer holiday.  Of course, the Macmillans and the Davies were long-time neighbors and friends, and Camille and Noah had basically grown up together, so why wouldn’t their families get along splendidly?  Hell, after getting to spend so much time together during the summer, Rose wouldn’t be surprised if Camille came back for their seventh year engaged.

But it was so unlike the situation between Rose and Scorpius and their families, and it saddened her to think that they would most likely never make it to that same level of congeniality.

“And Simon’s positively beside himself – he swears he’s going to smuggle a magic carpet home.”

At that, Rose couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of Simon finding a way to finagle his way around Britain’s ban on magic carpets, and she turned around in time to see Camille’s toiletry bag zoom across the room from the bathroom and land in her trunk.

Camille looked at Rose somewhat ruefully.  “You know, it’s too bad that you and Simon aren’t going out any longer, or you could come with us, too.  Maybe you should just ditch Scorpius and get back together with him.”

Despite the teasing in her voice, Rose picked up on a bit of sincerity as well.  Her friendship with Camille had suffered as a result of her breakup with Simon the year before and it had taken months before things didn’t feel forced between them, even longer than it had taken for Rose and Simon to be friends again.  And although she and Camille were quite close once again, Rose knew that Camille had never entirely forgiven her for breaking her brother’s heart.

“Last I saw Simon, he seemed fairly wrapped up in someone else,” Rose replied quietly, not wanting to rehash any of that old argument, especially today.

“Don’t remind me,” Camille groaned and rolled her eyes.  “At least he didn’t ask her to come with us, even if she is in a right snit about it.  Not that Mum and Dad would’ve agreed, I don’t think, but … bloody hell, could you imagine us having to spend an entire month on holiday with Miriam?  She fawns all over him enough as it is.”

“Oh, I don’t know … he doesn’t seem to mind so much.” 

Camille grimaced.  “ _He_ may not mind, but I certainly don’t fancy seeing my brother and his girlfriend feeling each other up at every opportunity.  I’m always afraid one of these days I’ll walk in on them shagging.”

_Ugh_ , Rose thought, wincing at the thought of ever walking in on Hugo, or any of her male cousins for that matter, shagging anyone.  “Maybe you could give him a taste of it over holidays,” Rose suggested.  “Let him see how he likes watching his sister wrapped around her boyfriend.”

“Perhaps I will,” Camille giggled.  She closed her trunk with a loud thunk.  “I’m all set.  Are you ready?”

“You go on ahead.”  Rose forced a grin.  “I’ll be down in just a minute.”

Rose turned back to the window; the group of students milling about had probably doubled in just a short time, and she looked at her watch, surprised and saddened to see that it was a quarter after ten and nearly time to leave for Hogsmeade.

She couldn’t believe it was actually the end of school.  

The memorial ceremony for the Battle of Hogwarts had been just over six weeks before, but it felt as if it had been much longer, although, looking back on it now, the days and weeks had passed by quickly, her life consumed with the end of classes and exams and Scorpius.  And suddenly, here they were, packed up and getting ready to board the train in just over half an hour.

She didn’t really want to go home, no matter how much she loved being at home and no matter how exciting this particular summer promised to be.  Of course, like every summer that she could remember, she would be spending the majority of her time divided fairly evenly between her home, Grimmauld Place, and the Burrow, but this year, she was also planning to spend a great deal of time at Ellie’s house, helping with her new baby brother, Ethan, who was now three weeks old.  And she would be starting her job at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes in just a couple of days, which Rose had to admit she was looking forward to, not only for the money she’d be earning but also for the opportunity to spend three days a week in Diagon Alley, and in turn, lunches with Scorpius and many hours at Flourish & Blotts and Quality Quidditch Supplies.

And next month, she was going to the Quidditch Finals, which was exciting on many levels, between attending the actual matches to spending an entire week with Scorpius, in the quite close quarters of a tent no less, even if the knowledge that she’d also be spending an entire week with his parents made her stomach churn uneasily.  And finally, there was Eryn’s wedding the second weekend of August, which promised to be quite the event based upon Lora’s latest owl outlining all the arrangements that Lavender and Auntie Katie had been making.  Not that it wouldn’t have been an event no matter what the preparations, since Rose had learned quite early in her life that it was a party in and of itself any time the entire Weasley clan mixed with free-flowing Firewhisky.

But as exciting as it all promised to be, the thought of leaving for summer was terribly bittersweet.  Her sixth year had been a brilliant one, obviously due in large part to her relationship with Scorpius, but also because of other things as well, the surprise endorsement from Professor Zabini coupled with their newfound camaraderie and her application to the Department of Mysteries topping the list, and Rose was sorry to see it end.  Not to mention that she wasn’t looking forward to not seeing Scorpius every day, having learned at Easter Break that she definitely did not enjoy that aspect of being at home.  And she’d tried hard not to think about that separation the night before in the broom closet or later when they’d made it to the Room of Requirement after finally finishing patrols or even that morning when she’d stubbornly refused to magic away the teeth marks she’d discovered on her collarbone and the swell of her left breast, but the thought had never been far enough from her mind.  And even though her parents knew that she was dating him and would have to expect that she’d want to see him as often as possible, she knew that they weren’t particularly welcoming of the idea of having him around, which was confirmed in her mind following her mum’s very lukewarm response to Rose’s latest owl mentioning that she wanted to invite Scorpius to stay with them the week of Eryn’s wedding.  

She didn’t want them to merely resign themselves into accepting her relationship with Scorpius – she wanted them to actually get to know him and see for themselves what a remarkable person he was.  And to realize, as she had, that he really was the right person for her.

_But summer will end soon enough, and it’ll be September first and we’ll be back here again before we know it_ , she reminded herself as she turned and gazed around her deserted dorm room.  She knew that Scorpius was most likely waiting for her and that prolonging going downstairs wouldn’t stop eleven o’clock from coming or the train from leaving or summer break from starting.  And, at the very least, she would be spending the next several hours alone with him, and Rose intended to take full advantage of them, doing everything in her power to rid herself of the emptiness she felt in her gut.  With a heavy sigh, she pushed aside all thoughts of what would be coming after they arrived at Kings Cross, levitated her trunk with a flick of her wand, and left the room without looking back.

~*~*~*~

Rose stepped through the Floo into the stockroom of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes at precisely five minutes of eight the following Monday morning, stifling a yawn and wishing that she hadn’t stayed up quite so late playing Exploding Snap with Hugo and her dad.  She was also rather anxious about her first day on the job, and as she dusted herself off, glancing around at the stacks of boxes and wondering how in the world she would keep everything straight or ever be able to find anything, her dad’s assurances that she’d do fine and that she’d be so busy that it would be four o’clock before she knew it were no longer reassuring her.

But at least she would be seeing Scorpius in just a few hours, since he’d promised to take her to lunch at The Leaky Cauldron, and she felt a rush of excitement at the thought of being with him again.  Sure, she’d only been home for a couple of days, and they’d passed by in a blur, leaving Rose feeling as if she hadn’t stopped once since disembarking the train at Kings Cross, but the entire time, she’d been missing him terribly.  

For all her attempts at not thinking about it, the reality of being separated from him for the next ten weeks had hit her like a ton of bricks at Platform 9 3/4 and she’d clung to him tightly when he hugged her goodbye, knowing that it was irrational but not wanting to let him go either.  And when he’d leaned in to her, somewhat conspiratorially, and said quietly, “Just so you know, I’d love to kiss you right now, but it’s probably not the best idea, what with everyone watching…” as he looked around her in the direction of her parents, she decided that she didn’t bloody care _who_ was watching or _what_ they thought, and Rose had glanced over his shoulder at his parents before she looked him dead in the eye and whispered, “Sod it all,” reaching up and clutching his face between her hands, then kissing him tenderly on the lips with a kiss that, while only lasting for a few seconds, spoke volumes in the emotion passing between them.  

And she’d unsuccessfully tried to fight back tears as he’d said, “I love you,” and kissed her on the cheek once more before releasing her and walking away behind his parents.  Although, thankfully, Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry had gone on ahead to Grimmauld Place, taking James, Al, Lily, and Hugo with them, so her only audience had been her parents, who had been strangely silent on their way to Al’s house afterwards, giving Rose an opportunity to collect herself before spending the remainder of the evening with the Potters.  But the thought of how the hell she could stand not seeing him more than a few hours a few days each week until mid-July had yet to leave her mind since.  

She was shaken from her thoughts by her cousin, Alexander, coming through the stockroom door.  “Yeah, alright!  I’ll bring more daydream charms, too,” he called as he backed into the room.  “Keep your bloody pants on,” he mumbled loudly before turning around and coming face to face with her.  “Oh!  Hiya, Rose.  You ready for your first day?”

She nodded, giving it her best effort to push Scorpius to the back of her mind, at least for now.  “Yeah, but it’s awfully early, isn’t it?”  She gave in to the yawn that had been threatening.  “And why are we starting so early?  The shop doesn’t even open for another hour.”

“It’s the first day after you lot are home from school,” Alexander answered as he began sifting through boxes piled high up near the doorway.  “Today and the week before you go back are what Uncle George calls his ‘most wonderful days of the year,’ what with all the business he does.  Besides, you know what he’s like when Fred comes home.  He’s in rare form today and he’s raring to open the doors.”

He handed her a box filled with dozens of smaller, brightly colored boxes that she instantly recognized as daydream charms – the updated pirate version – which she had tried once or twice and quite enjoyed, although her own personal favorites were the beach holiday variety, complete with the lingering smell of the sea and suntan lotion.  She felt a blush rising over her cheeks as she recalled the most recent one she used, just after the end of exams, which had ended rather vividly with Scorpius making love to her on the beach as waves of water rushed over them.

“Here, hold these,” Alexander directed.  “And these.”  He placed another small flat box containing trick wands atop the box she was holding then strained his neck around and nodded to himself before effortlessly levitating three cartons of Extendable Ears in front of him.  “Ready to face the firing squad?” he laughed.  Rose felt her eyes widen, and he shook his head.  “Just joking.  You’ve nothing to worry about.  Now follow me.”

Rose followed him through the door leading into the shop with boxes in tow, hoping she was ready to face what her summer had to offer.

 


	24. Chapter 24

  
Author's notes:

_a/n:  As always, I am so grateful to **gwen1170** , **lnalvgd** , and **spidergirl** for their beta assistance and their support!  And thank you to **tombombadil** for assuring me that I’d written the ‘dad’ parts appropriately. _

* * *

**Chapter 24**    

 

“What can I get you, love?”

 

Rose took a seat on the barstool and smiled politely at the handsome young man tending bar.  “I’ll have a butterbeer, thanks.”

 

“Nothing stronger?” he asked, the teasing evident in his voice as he held up a bottle of Ogden’s Old Firewhisky.  When she shook her head, he chuckled.  “Never thought I’d see the day when a Weasley turned down a Firewhisky.”

 

“Oh, I’ll be having some later, I’m quite sure,” she replied, hoping that her voice didn’t display how anxious she was about the evening.  _Of that, I am quite certain.  I only hope I won’t need to get good and sloshed before the night’s over._

 

He opened a butterbeer and placed it on the bar in front of her.  “If you’re still working, don’t think on it.  I know who you work for, and I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve poured your uncle, and your cousin for that matter, a Firewhisky or two during work hours.”

 

“No, thankfully I’m finished for the day,” she sighed, thinking that it had been a _really_ long day and she wasn’t quite sure that she was up for the _festivities_ of the evening.  “I’m simply in the mood for a butterbeer, is all.”  _While I wait_ , she added internally as she lifted the bottle to her lips and took a long drink.  The knot in her stomach had been growing all day, so much so that she was quite sure that she couldn’t have stomached the stronger, fiery liquid at that moment even if she’d wanted to. 

 

He shook his head exaggeratedly and laughed.  “Just wait ‘til I tell Stefan how you’ve let your entire family down.”  Rose tutted, and he leaned against the edge of the bar and raised his eyebrow, a mischievous smirk on his lips.  “You don’t believe me?  As a matter of fact, I’m due at his flat later.”

 

“As if I care what _Stefan_ thinks,” she retorted jokingly, giving him a smirk of her own.  “Besides, I know all about him.  I’ve got so much dirt on him … he knows better than to take the piss about _anything_ with me or else I’ll spill all not only to Auntie Fleur but to Gran.”

 

“I don’t doubt it, love.  A bloke would have to be nutters to cross you, wouldn’t he?”  He laughed heartily and winked.  “You know, you and I ought to get together sometime.  To compare notes.”

 

“No, I don’t think so, _love_ ,” she replied drolly, taking another swig of her butterbeer.

 

“Aw, c’mon,” he pressed, “your little boyfriend doesn’t even have to know about it.”  He winked again.  “And I promise not to tell.”  He leaned in even closer in a very practiced way that allowed his sandy blond hair to fall into his eyes somewhat fetchingly, and Rose had to admit, begrudgingly, that for as long as she’d known him and even thought about such things, she’d always thought him terribly good-looking.  Of course, for that same length of time, he’d always been _such_ a bloody tease, and she understood quite well not to take anything that came out of his mouth seriously.  

 

“Oh honestly,” she chuckled sardonically and rolled her eyes.  “I’m not stupid.  Even if I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d still say ‘no.’  No one in her right mind would agree to go out with you, Sean Wood.”  

 

“Why would you suggest such a thing?”  He gazed at her in mock astonishment.  “I assure you, I’ve had no complaints.”

 

“Perhaps, but you’ve also never managed to convince a single one of us to go out with you either,” she pointed out.  

 

“Oi, it’s just that you Weasley birds just don’t appreciate what you’re missing –”

 

“I think we all know exactly what we’re missing and we’re simply too bright to believe anything that comes out of your mouth.”  Rose fought back a giggle as she looked over her shoulder and back again.  No matter that he was a pompous arse, she couldn’t help but find him amusing and she was rather enjoying their good-natured ribbing, but not so much that she’d failed to notice that Scorpius was late.

 

“Fine.  Break my heart, why don’cha?”

 

“Ah, but you’d have to _have_ a heart for it be broken,” Rose threw back with a smug smirk before lifting the butterbeer to her lips and taking another sip. 

 

Sean laughed heartily.  “Touché.”  He held up another bottle of butterbeer.  “Ready for another?”

 

“Not yet.”  Rose shook her head and pulled at the label on the bottle in her hands, watching as he moved down to the other end of the bar and tended to others before glancing at the clock over the bar which read 17:35 p.m.  _Damn_ , she thought.  _Where is he?_

 

She was impatient to see him.  

 

Her dad had promised that “Once you’re working at the shop, it’ll be the end of August before you know it,” in response to her complaints that first morning home that summer was simply going to “drag on forever.”  Of course, he’d been right, and the time had, in fact, seemed to fly by, so much so that the first four weeks of the summer had passed surprisingly quickly, much more so than she’d ever imagined they would.  And day after tomorrow, she would be joining Scorpius and his parents, and the four of them would be Apparating to West Yorkshire for the Quidditch finals, where, quite remarkably, she would be cheering for the Cannons, who’d received a bit of assistance when Puddlemere United lost their two final matches.  The Cannons, on the other hand, had won out, finished in second place overall behind the Ballycastle Bats, and were now playing them for the championship.

 

Scorpius had been true to his word and had come to Diagon Alley every day that she’d worked at WWW, either joining her for lunch or taking her out after work, usually at The Leaky, but occasionally they’d ventured out into London.  But due to family commitments – also known as his _required_ presence at his grandparents’ house – it had been nearly a week since they’d even seen each other.  Not to mention that they hadn’t had an opportunity for anything more intimate than some rather intense snogs since they’d left school, and honestly, she could not wait to get him alone.

 

She shuddered when the thought of snogging him ran through her mind as she recalled the last time they’d been together, on Friday last.  The earlier part of the evening had been wonderful – she’d convinced him to go with her to the cinema to see a film for the first time, thrilled that he’d been enthralled, just as she had the first time she’d accompanied Nana all those years before – and he’d accepted her invitation to come back to her house, upon her assurances that her parents were at the Potters’ house and not expected home until much later and Hugo was spending the weekend at Fred’s.  And sure enough, the house had been dark and quiet when they’d arrived and she’d been pleased when he declined her polite offer of tea and instead pulled her down onto the sofa, into his lap, and proceeded to snog her until she was breathless and practically clawing at his shirt to remove it, disappointed when he continued resisting her best efforts to strip him of his clothes and shag him right there in the sitting room.

 

She could acknowledge now that she, admittedly, hadn’t been thinking clearly, that at the time, her mind and judgment were clouded, and she’d been so intent on getting her way – and having her way with him – that she hadn’t heard the swoosh of the Floo.  But the sound of Dad loudly clearing his throat had been more than enough to get her attention, and Scorpius’s, and she’d nearly ended up in the floor as they scrambled to untangle themselves.  Rose had unconsciously fiddled with her hair and pulled at her blouse as she glanced at Scorpius, and she’d been terribly thankful that he had resisted her attempts and that they were both _mostly_ presentable, their flustered faces and somewhat red, puffy lips the only signs that they’d even been snogging at all.  

 

All the while, her parents simply stood there, watching them:  Mum with a grimace on her face as she’d sighed and dusted herself off, Dad with his arms folded over his chest, his jaw set, and his heated gaze focused upon them.  

 

“Mum?  Dad?” Rose had squeaked.  “What’re you doing home so early?”

 

“It isn’t early, Rose,” Mum had answered, motioning toward the grandfather clock in the corner, and Rose had been shocked to discover that it was already after eleven.  “And I have an eight o’clock appointment with the Minister tomorrow morning so Dad brought me home.”  She fixed Scorpius with one of _those_ stares, and Dad’s eyes had shifted from her to Scorpius as well.

 

_And poor Scorpius_.  He’d been noticeably flushed and fidgety and clearly horrified at having been caught by her parents with his hands on her bum and his tongue down her throat as she’d straddled his lap and his very obvious erection.

 

“Er…good evening, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley,” he’d stammered, starting to extend his hand but apparently thinking better of it and quickly shoving it into the pocket of his trousers, although Rose had been quite impressed that he’d continued to hold Mum’s gaze, even if he hadn’t looked Dad’s way once.  Not that she blamed him – she hadn’t really met Dad’s glare either.

 

“I was just…yeah, I need to…uh…” he’d gestured to the Floo with his hand and, thankfully, they’d moved away from it, allowing him to slip by them with Rose on his heels.  “I’ll be going.  Good night,” he directed at her parents before turning and looking apologetically at Rose, taking a handful of the Floo powder she was offering.  “G’night,” he’d muttered, followed by a murmured yet clearly sincere, “I’m sorry,” before he stepped into the Floo.

 

“Good night,” she’d responded quietly, watching as he’d disappeared in the green flames, and she’d taken a deep breath and turned back to Mum and Dad, readying herself for anything from an angry tirade to a long, mostly one-sided discussion about what constituted appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

 

In the end, it had been a bit of both.  Dad had been visibly irate, although the majority of his anger was directed at Scorpius, and he’d repeatedly questioned where “that bloody little bastard” got the idea that it was okay to have his hands “all over her,” and while Rose had cringed each time he’d mentioned it – and he’d mentioned it several times – she’d felt a small amount of relief that, judging from Dad’s reaction over catching them snogging, Mum _obviously_ hadn’t told him the details about the true nature of her relationship with Scorpius.  

 

She’d been calmer, naturally, but it had also been evident that she was less than amused at the situation, and in between Dad’s comments, she’d chided Rose for being disrespectful and irresponsible, reminding her that she was seventeen, and of age, and it was time that she acted as such and was more cautious and careful.  But in the end, it was over in less than half an hour which had only felt longer, and Mum had grasped Rose’s hand and pulled her into her arms, whispering, “I understand more than you realize,” and then turned to Dad and reminded him that, not only had they been caught snogging by Nana and Pops once, but also by Gran and Granddad three times when they’d been her age.

 

Dad hadn’t spoken of it again, but it was Sunday before he’d fully relaxed again, although he _still_ hadn’t stopped grumbling about Scorpius, and Mum had explained, as they’d prepared supper earlier in the week, that it was simply difficult for Dad to accept that Rose was an adult, and no longer his baby daughter, and was clearly interested in more adult activities, including those with members of the opposite sex, disagreeing with Rose’s pointed assessment that it would be different if it had been someone other than Scorpius.  But Mum had cleverly avoided Rose’s inquiries questioning what she’d “understood more than Rose realized” that evening and seeking information about her own _indiscretions_ with Dad when she’d been Rose’s age.

 

The supper tonight had been Rose’s idea, and Mum had agreed that it couldn’t hurt, although she’d been far less enthusiastic about the prospect than Rose had hoped, even as she’d promised to convince Dad to come.  After all, she was scheduled to leave on Friday with Scorpius and his family for a week, but Mum and Dad still hadn’t spent any time with him other than the few polite minutes here and there that they’d been required to back during the school term and on the one or two occasions that Scorpius had brought her home following one of their dates.  And while they were always _polite_ to him, it had been evident that they were still having trouble accepting him as Rose’s boyfriend and an important part of her life.  But if she was anything, Rose Weasley was stubborn, and she was determined to clear the air between Dad and Scorpius, determined that both Mum and Dad spend some time around him and get to know him better, because she was convinced that they would be unable to resist his charms, just as everyone else who knew him had been.  And what better than a very public meetup in a very public pub where they could all get truly pissed if the necessity arose?

 

Only now that it was looming, she was beginning to question her own sanity as “what ifs” ran through her head.  What if Dad refused to give him a chance and either lost his temper or worse, sat there and stewed on it?  What if it came out that Mum disagreed with him on some pet peeve of hers and began enumerating the many reasons why she was right and he was wrong?  What if they just couldn’t accept Scorpius as himself and not as his father’s son?  And it wasn’t that Scorpius had been all too keen on the whole idea himself when she’d proposed it to him a couple of days ago…

 

Rose was jolted from her reverie by the sound of the door opening and she turned, flashing a beaming smile when Scorpius walked through it.  _At last!_   Relief flooded over her as her eyes took him in and she looked him up and down.  _He is such a sight for sore eyes_ , she thought as she dropped four sickles on the bar and hopped off of the stool.

 

“That boyfriend of yours is one lucky bloke,” Sean remarked and Rose looked back at him brief, shaking her head.

 

“I’m the lucky one, truly,” she assured him before turning back and rushing over to Scorpius, who was standing just inside the door, glancing around the room.

 

“Hi!”  She threw her arms around him and hugged him, pressing a lingering kiss on his cheek.  “How are you?”

 

His arms wrapped around her and his lips brushed against her temple.  “Very well.  And you?”

 

“I am now.  I’ve missed you,” she answered honestly against his cheek and he tightened his hold on her, practically lifting her off of her feet, and Rose had to resist the urge to wrap her legs around him and snog him passionately.  _One more day_ , she reminded herself to fight her disappointment when he had to release her from his embrace entirely too soon, happy to at least be in the same room with him and be able to touch him as he took her by the hand and led the way back to the bar. 

 

“I see he’s finally arrived … lucky bloke,” Sean teased Rose before turning to Scorpius.  “What can I getcha?”

 

Scorpius’s fingers tightened around hers.  “A bottle of Ogden’s,” he replied tersely, placing five galleons on the bar.  Sean reached under the bar and simply returned Scorpius’s glare with his own look of amusement as he set the bottle and two glasses on the bar between them.

 

“Enjoy,” he chuckled, smiling again at Rose before turning his attention to a group of wizards needing refills at the other end of the bar.

 

Scorpius huffed as he faced her, nodding toward a group of round top tables near the back of the room.  “Back there,” he directed, once again pulling her by the hand to the only table in the back of the room next to a window.  She was pleased that he’d chosen it; it was the best one in the place, in her opinion, and her mother would be pleased with it as well.  Besides, from the angle of the table, they would be able to see everyone coming in and going out, but in order for them to be seen, one really had to be looking at them, and it afforded her a teeny bit of much needed, much desired, privacy with him, for a few minutes at least.

 

He pulled the chair out for Rose then took the seat next to her, scooting his chair closer to her.  But he didn’t look at her or say a word as he opened the Firewhisky and poured some into each of their glasses, and Rose stared at him intently until he finally met her gaze.  His blue eyes were blazing.

 

“What the devil is wrong with you?” she asked quizzically.  It was unlike him to be so openly rude, not to mention out of all the times they’d frequented The Leaky Cauldron over the past few weeks, she’d never noticed him be quite so curt with Sean or anyone else.

 

“I hate that bloody bastard,” he replied as he quickly emptied his glass and refilled it again.

 

“Who?  Sean?” she asked incredulously.  “Why?”

 

His jaw set and he glanced toward the bar and then back to her.  “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

 

She giggled, sliding her hand over his chest when instead of laughing with her, he looked even more angry.  “You’re mental, you know that?  Sean Wood is harmless.”

 

Scorpius let out a deep breath and glared at her.  “I remember what he was like at Hogwarts.  He’s _hardly_ harmless, Rose.”

 

“But he is,” she insisted.  “I’ve known him for years, since I was a little girl.  Our parents are old friends and he’s been tight with Stefan since first year at Hogwarts.”  She arched an eyebrow at him.  “Besides, you trust me, don’t you?”

 

“Of course,” he replied indignantly.  “It isn’t about that.  But the stupid git knows you’re with me.  Which means he shouldn’t be looking at you like that.”

 

Rose leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips.  With the exception of Simon Macmillan, she’d never seen Scorpius show any jealousy where she was concerned, and she was surprised at how endearing it was to know that he felt so strongly about her as to let someone as truly insignificant as Sean Wood bother him.  “Like I said, you’re bloody mental, Malfoy,” she murmured against his lips before sitting back.

 

“If that’s the case, then it’s your fault,” he retorted with a slight chuckle.  “So, uh,” he cleared his throat and took another drink of his Firewhisky, glancing at his watch and she knew that he was most likely as anxious about her parents’ arrival as she was, “…they’ll be here at six, right?”

 

“Yeah.”  She took more than a little sip of her Firewhisky.  “They’re coming over directly after work.”

 

He sighed thoughtfully.  “And are you sure … I mean, we talked about it, I know, but are you _really_ sure I shouldn’t apologize or something for Saturday?”

 

“God, no!”  Rose shook her head forcefully.  “As I told you before, Dad generally ignores things he doesn’t want to think about.  And I assure you, he _does not_ want to think about what he and Mum walked in on, so he’s pretty much pretending as if nothing happened at all.  But if you apologize, he’ll be forced to think on it and … No.  Honestly, Scorpius, some things are better left unsaid.”

 

He looked concerned.  “But I don’t want them to think that I’m, you know…not sorry...”  His voice trailed off and he smirked as he reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear.  “I mean, not that I’m sorry about what we were doing.”

 

She giggled.  “Only that they caught us, right?”  She covered his hand with hers and turned her head to kiss his palm.  He gently traced his fingertip over her lips and a slight smile spread over his lips as she unsuccessfully attempted to fight a small yawn.

 

“Busy day?” 

 

Rose nodded.  “Terribly.  I never realized how much Alexander has in common with Uncle George.  I feel positively worn to the bone.”

 

“I thought your Uncle George was the prankster,” Scorpius said, confusion evident on his face.  “I’d never have taken Alexander as such.”

 

“He’s not,” she answered quickly.  “But they’re both so bloody _serious_ when it comes to the shop.  You really have no idea how ready I am for Friday.”

 

“Friday?” he asked teasingly.  “Is there something special happening on Friday that I should know about?”

 

Rose giggled and nodded.  “Oh yes.  My terribly divine boyfriend is taking me to the Quidditch finals,” she replied, beaming at him.  

 

“You don’t say?  To the Quidditch finals?  He _does_ sound quite splendid,” he said, attempting an innocent look but mostly looking pleased with himself.

 

“Splendid doesn’t even _begin_ to describe him,” Rose replied.

 

Scorpius smirked.  “And I suppose a plain ordinary bloke such as myself wouldn’t stand a chance of stealing you away from someone who was generous enough to take you to the Quidditch finals.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” she giggled.  “You are quite lovely, aren’t you?  Perhaps you could stick around, just in case things don’t work out with him and all.”

 

She finished off the Firewhisky in her glass and held it out for him to pour another.  She was feeling quite warm and slightly light-headed and more than a little flirty, but she didn’t think that it would hurt to have just one more. 

 

He arched an eyebrow at her and complied, filling her glass and his.  “I should ‘just stick around’, should I?”  He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “And I suppose you’ll make it worth my while?”

 

“Oh yes,” she nodded, taking another sip.  And she knew just the thing, too.  At Alexander’s insistence, Auntie Katie had recruited her assistance in promoting the WonderWitch product line, consisting of bubble baths and lotions and candles with their intoxicating scents and massage oils which warmed and tingled upon use, and Rose had spent the entire day setting up the new display for them, fighting the images that had bombarded her mind of straddling Scorpius’s bare back and massaging one of those hot, aromatic oils into his bare skin and having him do the same for her.  

 

“You say that as if you’ve something in mind.”  

 

“I do,” she confirmed, her eyes locked on his.

 

She felt him squeeze her knee under the table.  “And …?  What is it?” he pressed.  He began tracing the skin along the hem of her skirt with his fingertip.  

 

Rose shook her head, giggling and shifting in her seat as his hand crept slowly up the top of her thigh.  “I can’t tell you.  It’s a secret,” she added in response to his arched eyebrow.  “But it’s quite sexy, I assure you.”

 

“‘Quite sexy,’ you say?” Scorpius replied with a grin as his hand tightened around her leg and he fixed her with a look that made her heart race.  “You’ve definitely piqued my interest.”

 

Rose took another drink and closed her eyes; heat rushed through her but it was due in only small part to the Firewhisky she’d just sipped.  It was mainly him – being near him, wanting him, loving him – and she licked at the traces of liquid still on her lips then opened her eyes to find him staring at them, and her, intently.

 

Within seconds, he’d captured her lips between his and the fire inside her raged as she practically melted against him.  She simply couldn’t stop the thoughts running through her head or the desire that was coursing through her.  And what she really wanted to do was grab him by the shirt collar and snog him madly, to watch him stand and sweep everything off of their table before bending her over it and shagging her passionately.  

 

But she very reluctantly broke their kiss, breathing heavily as she fiddled with her glass, just to have something to do with her hands.

 

It wasn’t that she had forgot they were in the middle of The Leaky Cauldron, or that his relatively tame kiss had pushed it to the limit of being respectable, or even that from somewhere in the recesses of her mind, her mum’s old warnings about watching herself and that she’d never get on with the Ministry by acting out in public had begun to filter through her brain.  Those things she could easily have ignored had it not been for the fact that she knew that it was getting closer and closer to six o’clock, and there was always the chance that her parents might arrive early, and Rose certainly didn’t want them to walk in on her snogging Scorpius, in public no less, on the evening of their first real opportunity to spend some time getting to know him. 

 

“So, anyway, I finished packing last night,” she offered in yet another attempt to distract herself from throwing all propriety to the wind and making a spectacle of herself, but she didn’t push his hand away because it felt too bloody good lingering between her thighs and she was literally craving his touch – god, she couldn’t wait to be alone with him – and besides, she could see the door from her vantage point and as long as she was paying attention anytime anyone entered, there wasn’t any danger of her mum and dad seeing anything they shouldn’t.  “I can’t believe it’s finally here and not only do I get to spend the whole week away with you, but I get to watch the Cannons compete for the championship to boot – I can’t imagine anything being better than that.”

 

Of course, as excited as she was about spending her days watching Quidditch, she was even more so about spending her nights with Scorpius, the two of them having already discussed the layout of the Malfoys’ tent, not to mention her room’s proximity in relationship to his and precisely how easy it was going to be for them to sneak in and out of each other’s rooms every night for the entire week.

 

Scorpius laughed and the movement of his fingers lightly over her skin left goosebumps in their wake.  “I’m pleased that spending the week with me ranks ahead of watching the Cannons in the finals.”

 

“Only slightly,” Rose teased over the top of her glass.  “But you have to remember, I’ve loved the Cannons my whole life.”  

 

“Perhaps,” he prompted, reaching over, taking the glass from her, and taking a swig, “but you love me more.”

 

Rose giggled.  “Only on your best days.”  She leaned in when Scorpius eyed her questioningly.  “Which just so happens to be every day,” she whispered next to his ear before running her tongue lightly over the shell.

 

“Fuck, Rose,” he groaned quietly.  “I want to … God, I want you.”  His fingers swept over her knickers deliberately several times before he removed his hand and sat back, fixing her with a smoldering gaze which she returned with one of her own as she struggled to control her breathing.

 

“You’re wicked, you know that?” she muttered, shifting in her seat uncomfortably, the ache almost overwhelming.

 

“Who me?” he asked with false innocence before taking another sip of his drink.

 

She glared.  “Yes, you.  That was … unfair.”

 

“Unfair?” he retorted.  “And what do you call playing upon my randiness, knowing that I’m going to have to sit here _with your parents_ for the next hour or so.  I’m hoping that your dad doesn’t hex me the minute he lays eyes on me for last weekend and that neither of them uses Legilimancy on me.  It wouldn’t do for them to see everything I’m planning on doing to you when I get you away from here and all to myself day after tomorrow.”

 

“You’ve nothing to worry about there.  If Dad had planned on hexing you, he would’ve done it that night and would certainly never hex you here, not that Mum would let him hex you anywhere anyway.  And Mum never learned Legilimancy and Dad’s pathetic at it.  Now if it was Uncle Harry … well, that would be another story.”  

 

Scorpius laughed uneasily.  “Good thing I don’t fancy your cousin, Lily, then,” he responded, and Rose giggled, unable to imagine a more terribly matched pair than Scorpius and Lily.

 

“Yes, that’s a very good thing,” she agreed somewhat distractedly as she looked at her watch, noticing that it was precisely one minute after six.  She glanced up at the door and, almost as if on cue, it opened and her parents entered.  They were greeted almost immediately by Hannah Wood, Sean’s mum and owner of the place, who hugged Rose’s mum while her dad scanned the room.  Rose stood and waved, and he waved back in acknowledgement then gripped her mum’s shoulder and leaned down to whisper something in her ear.  Rose’s mum nodded and said something to Sean’s mum before making her way across the room towards their table while Rose’s dad made his way towards the bar.

 

“Bloody fucking hell,” Scorpius muttered under his breath, a look of fear momentarily passing over his face.  “I don’t want to do this.”  He gulped down the last of his Firewhisky and Rose reached over and squeezed his knee. 

 

“Everything will be alright,” she assured him before standing and walking behind his chair to greet her mum with a hug as Scorpius followed behind her.

 

“Hi, Mum.”

 

“Good evening, Mrs. Weasley.”

 

“Hello, dear.  I trust you had a lovely day,” she remarked to Rose as she unhooked the top buttons on her Ministry robes and slid them off, carefully draping them over the back of her chair.  She didn’t wait for Rose to reply before turning to Scorpius, and Rose was relieved to see her smile remain genuine when she addressed him.  “And you, Scorpius.  I hope you are well.”

 

“Yes, thank you,” he replied, pulling out the chair first for Rose’s mum, who looked surprised and impressed, and then for Rose before sitting down next to her once more, although this time, he didn’t sit quite as close as before.  He discretely slid the bottle of Firewhisky over and poured himself a refill, looking up at her mum as he finished.

 

“May I offer you a glass?” he asked politely, although knowing him as she did, Rose could hear the nervousness in his voice.  

 

Her mum shook her head.  “Thank you, but no.  Ron is fetching me something.”

 

“Ron _has fetched_ your favorite,” her dad corrected jokingly, coming up behind them, and Rose felt his hand lovingly touch her on the shoulder and heard him say, “Hey, Rosie,” as he sat down next to her mum and handed her a glass of sherry.  Finally, he glanced across the table, eying the half-empty bottle of Firewhisky before meeting Scorpius’s anxious gaze.

 

“Scorpius,” he said, extending his hand across the table and Rose could see the relief wash over Scorpius’s face as he shook her dad’s hand.

 

“Good evening, Mr. Weasley.”

 

One of the waitresses arrived to take their orders, after which a somewhat awkward silence fell over the table as her dad took a swig from his large tankard of ale and Scorpius nursed his Firewhisky.  Even though it only lasted a moment, Rose was grateful when her mum turned to her once again.

 

“How was your day?”

 

“Busy.  I never would’ve expected it, but Alexander is a slave driver.  And when you get him and Uncle George together...”  She giggled and shook her head.  “But I finished Auntie Katie’s display today and it looks smashing, if I dare say so myself,” she added with a feeling of pride, knowing that the sincere compliments she’d received from Auntie Katie, Alexander, and Uncle George had been well earned.

 

“That’s m’girl,” her dad interjected proudly.  “Got your dad’s eye, did you?”  

 

“Definitely,” she replied with a smile, taking a sip of her Firewhisky as well.  “Anyway,” she said, returning her gaze to her mum as she put her hand on Scorpius’s forearm resting on the table, “I am more than ready for our trip.”

 

“Ah, the Quidditch trip,” her mum said, sending a smile in Rose’s direction before turning to Scorpius.  “Rose has spoken of little else for the past couple of days.”

 

“Mum’s exaggerating slightly,” Rose interjected with a grin.

 

“Mum exaggerating?  Never.”  Her dad laughed and her mother swatted his arm playfully.  “You’ve only been raring to go since the Cannons clinched their spot, haven’t you, Rosie?”

 

“Naturally.  As we’ve already established, I _am_ your daughter, after all.”  She smiled brightly at her dad.  “‘Let’s all just keep our fingers crossed …’”

 

“…and hope for the best,” he finished, raising his drink in salute before taking a gulp.

 

Her mum chortled and shook her head in loving amusement, turning her attention back to Scorpius.  “I expect you’re looking forward to it as well?”

 

He nodded enthusiastically.  “I am,” he replied, and Rose could sense his relief at her mum’s obvious attempts to keep the conversation going and focusing on _safe_ subjects. 

 

“Will this be your first time to attend the finals?”

 

“Oh no.  Before I was born, my mother was the Seeker for the Karasjok Kites and their coach, Sonja Dahlen, is my godmother.  She makes sure we have tickets to the finals every year.  I don’t remember a year that we didn’t go to the finals.”

 

Rose’s dad’s face lit up and he looked directly at Scorpius for only the second time the entire evening.  “Dahlen is your godmother?” he asked, continuing when Scorpius nodded, “That’s brilliant.”

 

“I’m surprised you know of her.”  Scorpius looked impressed.  “Most British Quidditch fans don’t follow the European teams.”

 

“I don’t follow them closely, but any wizard claiming to know anything about Quidditch knows of her and that she’s one of the best coaches in that league.  Rumor has it that the Magpies are trying to woo her into switching leagues.”

 

“That’ll never happen,” Scorpius scoffed, taking a sip of his drink.

 

Rose’s dad eyed him curiously.  “How can you be so sure?”

 

“She’d never defect from Karasjok.  The Kites gave Sonja her start.  After she was injured and cut by Heidelberg, the Kites took her on as a junior trainer.  That’s how she and my mother met, when Mother’s arm was broken in her second match, it was Sonja who fixed her up.”  He shook his head confidently.  “As long as she’s in Quidditch, she’ll be with the Kites.  Of that, I’m one hundred percent certain.”

 

Her dad stroked his beard and grinned.  “So who’s your team, Scorpius?  Other than the Kites, obviously.”

 

“Well, Mr. Weasley, my father generally roots for the Tornadoes, but I’ve always been slightly partial to the Harpies.” 

 

“I see,” her dad arched an eyebrow at him.  “My sister played for the Harpies, so I can’t very well hold that against you, can I?  But what about this year?  Between the Bats and the Cannons?  Who’re you backing?”

 

Scorpius glanced at Rose and she noticed his cheeks flush slightly.  “The Cannons, no question.”

 

“Good man,” her dad replied, holding his tankard up, nodding when Scorpius clanked his glass against it.

 

Rose glanced across the table, noticing that her mum was watching the two men thoughtfully as they drank then launched into a comparison between the British and European teams, stopping only briefly when their food arrived but picking back up, apparently having come to some common ground over Scorpius’s admission that the British teams were, at least currently, superior to others around the world.  Once or twice, she caught her mother’s eye, the first time mouthing the words, “thank you,” and both times, exchanging curious but pleased looks at the events that were transpiring.  And for once, Rose didn’t mind being completely left out of the conversation.  Her dad and Scorpius were getting along better than she could have hoped for, and nothing she could have possibly contributed to their discussion would have been worth messing with the easy rapport with which they were conversing by the end of dinner almost two hours later.

 

Of course, the fact that they’d finished off not only Scorpius’s bottle of Firewhisky but two others might’ve had something to do with it as well, but Rose didn’t really care _why_ they were getting along, only that they were.

 

She and Scorpius exited through the doorway leading into Diagon Alley to wait for her parents to bid good night to Hannah Wood and several others they knew from the Ministry before leaving.  The night was breezy but warm, and Rose threw her arms tightly around Scorpius’s neck the moment they were standing on the cobblestone street.

 

“That was…you were…God, you were _perfect_ ,” she gushed, unable to control her excitement at how well it had gone, despite the initial awkwardness in the beginning.

 

Scorpius flashed her a shy, pleased smile.  “I believe it went well.”

 

“ _Well?_ ” she asked incredulously before pressing a loud, wet kiss against his lips.  “Are you mad?  It was brilliant.  _You_ were brilliant.  And you absolutely won my dad over.”

 

“I don’t know about that…”

 

“Stop being modest,” she insisted.  “It couldn’t have gone any better.”

 

“Yeah,” he agreed.  “I don’t suppose he hates me any longer.”

 

Her dad confirmed that sentiment seconds later when, after hugging Rose affectionately, he accepted Scorpius’s outstretched hand and shook it more firmly than at the beginning of dinner, while Rose found herself being pulled into an embrace by her mum.  

 

They’d parted ways, and she and Scorpius had Apparated to James and Cameron’s new flat, where they watched a number of their friends get royally pissed before slipping off and snogging madly in the loo, although any thoughts beyond snogging were cut off by James’s rude ousting of their hiding place not too long thereafter.  In the end, they’d settled for sitting side-by-side on the floor, beating the tar out of a very pissed Johanna and an equally drunk Al at Exploding Snap, managing to fit in an occasional touch and kiss here and there, but knowing that they just had to hold out for one more day and then they could shag all night every night for a week if they wanted.

 

As she lay in bed three hours later, having only just made it home by midnight as requested by her mum, she reflected on the evening, recalling, most notably, not the party at James’s flat but the sight of her dad and Scorpius carrying on a congenial conversation as if they were actually friends and the sincerity in her mum’s voice when she’d turned to Scorpius, shook his hand, and warmly assured him that they were pleased he could join them, as well as the gratefulness in Scorpius’s reply that it was his pleasure as he thanked them for the invitation.

 

And she was hopeful – truly hopeful – for the first time since they’d snogged that very first time in the library all those months before that perhaps – just perhaps – her family would actually consider accepting Scorpius into it.  She only hoped that she was afforded the same chance to prove herself with his family over the next week.

  


	25. Chapter 25

  
Author's notes: _a/n:  Thank you so very much to **gwen1170** , **RedSioda** , **lnalvgd** , **spidergirl** , and **tombombadil** for continuing to be the best betas and cheerleaders and to everyone who is sticking with me on this story!! _  


* * *

**Chapter 25**    

“Good morning, Miss.”  

“Oh! Hello,” Rose responded, startled by the plump, pleasant-looking House-Elf in a neat, yellow tea cozy who was smiling up at her as she stepped out of the Floo into Scorpius’s sitting room, thinking it odd that he’d never once mentioned to her that his family had a House-Elf, even though they’d discussed her mother’s extensive work on behalf of House-Elf rights on more than one occasion.  

 

She quickly glanced around the room, seeing that they were alone, and she attempted to hide her disappointment that Scorpius wasn’t there to greet her when she smiled back at the House-Elf, who was still looking up at her expectantly.  “Good morning.  I’m Rose Weasley, a friend of Scorpius’s…he’s…they’re expecting me,” she continued, offering her hand tentatively.  As she’d learned through her mum, some were more receptive to overtures by wizards than others, and she didn’t want to seem too aggressive or to offend this one.

 

The House-Elf smiled and lightly touched Rose’s outstretched fingers with her own, a gesture that Rose knew was tantamount to shaking her hand.  “Yes, Master Scorpius and Mistress Hanna told Rebby that Miss Wheezy would be arriving at nine-thirty.”  She motioned for Rose to sit.  “Master Scorpius will be returning shortly, and Mistress Hanna asked Rebby to make Miss Wheezy comfortable and to bring Miss Wheezy coffee whilst waiting.”

 

“Oh, thank you.  That would be lovely,” Rose said quietly, and with another bright smile and a snap of her fingers, Rebby disappeared.

 

Rose dusted herself off, taking great care to be completely free from soot before stepping from the marble hearth onto the plush white carpet and taking a seat on the edge of the long ivory sofa as Rebby had instructed.  She felt unnerved that neither Scorpius nor his parents were there, and she checked the time on her watch to make sure she wasn’t early and confirmed that she was, as she had expected, precisely on time.  She took a deep breath and looked around the Malfoys’ sitting room to calm herself, not entirely surprised by the grandeur of the room, which included the couch with its large, dark green pillows, which was flanked on each end by two rich cherry end tables, silver candelabras with tall ivory tapers, and dozens of crystal vases filled with an assortment of white orchids, lilies, and chrysanthemums, and she smiled, recalling that Scorpius gave her chrysanthemums on Valentine’s Day, sharing with her that they were his mother’s favorites.  

 

However, it was the large family photograph hanging on the wall over the mantle that commanded the majority of her attention, and she studied it intently, thinking that it was most likely taken the previous year if she had to guess, judging by the length of Scorpius’s hair.  She focused, naturally, upon him first and foremost, on how vividly the photograph had captured his brilliant blue eyes and the upturn of his lips as he smirked before smiling more genuinely and the preciseness of his fingers resting on his mother’s shoulder.  

 

Her gaze then fell upon Scorpius’s mum, and Rose was taken by how beautiful she truly was, how her entire face lit up when she smiled and how lovingly she gazed at both her son and her husband before settling into a perfectly practiced and almost aristocratic pose, her head held high and her hands clasped and resting in her lap.  Rose hadn’t realized that Scorpius shared his mother’s eye color or how much he actually favored her, even though he unquestionably favored his father more.  

 

Her eyes drifted to Scorpius’s dad and she sighed heavily, spending a moment watching as his photographic image winked playfully at Scorpius’s mum and he squeezed her knee with a grin on his face, which quickly disappeared and his lips settled into a smug smirk that was remarkably copied by his son but was not nearly as endearing.  Rose _wanted_ to like him.  She really did.  And one of the things she hoped for the upcoming week was to develop at least some sort of rapport with this man her parents very openly did not like – and for very understandable and justified reasons, in her opinion – but who was also the father of the man Rose was in love with.  And while she found it difficult to separate the man she had heard about in such a negative fashion for so many years with the man she heard Scorpius speak of so highly, she knew that she had to do everything in her power to make sure he accepted her as part of his son’s life, much as her own parents were trying to do with Scorpius.

 

Her focus was still on that photograph when she heard a _crack_ and she turned to find Rebby standing before her, levitating a shiny silver tray holding out a coffee service for four and a plate of buttered crumpets in front of her.  She settled it onto the end table at Rose’s immediate right.

 

“Thank you,” Rose repeated, taking the cup of coffee offered by Rebby before the House-Elf excused herself once more and disappeared with another snap of her fingers.  Rose added cream and sugar to her coffee, her eyes drawn this time to the number of silver photo frames adorning the mantle, the majority of them containing glimpses of Scorpius as a baby and a toddler and a boy.  She wasn’t sure why, but she was reminded of the sitting room at the Burrow, which was cluttered with photographs of children through the various stages of growing up, and of her mum’s study and all of the photographs lining the walls and the objects that she and Hugo had made for their parents decorating it.  And Rose couldn’t help being endeared to Scorpius’s parents for this obvious display of adoration for their son. 

 

But her smile changed to a frown when she caught sight of the several photographs containing images of his grandparents and, distractedly, she reached over and helped herself to one of the crumpets as her eyes lingered upon the image of Lucius Malfoy staring back at her, with his cane in hand and his wife sitting beside him.  And Rose’s thoughts drifted to the conversation she’d had with her parents before they’d left for the Ministry earlier that morning.  How she’d spent much of their shared breakfast reassuring Mum that she would remember she was going to be in public and would not, obviously, do anything too embarrassing or stupid and that she, in fact, had included two in response to her questioning for what seemed like the hundredth time whether Rose had packed a jumper.  How the levity of the moment had been squashed by the seriousness of Dad’s admonitions to watch out for herself and to stay away from anyone who looked shady, and Rose had assured him that he had absolutely nothing to worry about, that she would be in good hands and anyway, that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, thank you very much.  And she’d followed his demands with her own, asking him to promise he wouldn’t send anyone to spy on her during the week, to which he agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

 

And she’d tried not to be irritated when he’d questioned, yet again, whether Scorpius’s grandparents were going with them, vehemently answering, “No,” as she had each of the ten or so times he’d asked her before, although she’d undoubtedly agreed that she had no plans to get anywhere near Scorpius’s grandfather when she’d overheard Dad muttering to Mum that “It’s a good thing because there’s no way in bloody hell Rosie’d be going if that sick, twisted bastard was, too.” 

 

But when it was finally time for them to go, they’d both hugged her tightly, Dad even more so than usual, and Mum had kissed her cheek lovingly, wishing her a pleasant time, while Dad had simply told her, once more, to “be careful,” before turning back and reminding her that they loved her.  And as she’d watched them disappear through the Floo in their kitchen, Rose had felt an overwhelming sense of love and empathy for them, knowing that they were so worried about her.  Her emotion had carried over as she’d run up the stairs and straight to the bathroom so that she could shower, her anticipation building to an almost overwhelming pitch as she got ready, so much so that she’d been magnanimous and let Hugo have the bathroom when he’d pounded on the door and she hadn’t taken the piss or rubbed it in too awfully much before she stepped into the Floo and traveled to Scorpius’s house at precisely nine-thirty, just as he’d instructed.

 

She finished off the crumpet, sucking her fingers into her mouth to remove any residual butter then reached for another, needing something to do with her hands as she waited.  She’d eaten perhaps half of it when she heard footsteps echoing in from the corridor, and she quickly stuffed the rest into her mouth, nearly swallowing it whole, as she stood and wiped her hands on her shorts in order to greet whoever was finally joining her.

 

Rose was more than a little relieved – more like overjoyed – when Scorpius entered the room.  Without a word, he crossed it in four long strides, took her face in his hands, and kissed her passionately.  Her surprise at his bold move lasted for only a few seconds before she wound her arms around him tightly, pressing her body flush against his.

 

“Hi,” she managed when their lips parted and what she knew was a terribly silly grin broke over her face.

 

“Morning,” Scorpius muttered when they broke apart and he rested his forehead against hers.  “Sorry I wasn’t here when you got here.  I had an errand to run for Mother and got held up.”  

 

“You’re here now,” she replied.  Her eyes remained half-closed and she took a deep breath, inhaling his scent, taking a great deal of pleasure having him so close.  She felt their lips meet once more and, as before, she melted against him.  It wasn’t until they heard Rebby re-enter the room that they parted, and Rose felt a blush rise over her cheeks at having been caught snogging Scorpius by her.

 

“Master Scorpius instructed Rebby to inform him when Mistress Hanna was coming downstairs,” Rebby said, the tips of her ears pink.  

 

Scorpius’s eyes never left Rose’s and he pulled her body tightly against his, whispering, “I assure you, we’ll finish this later,” before releasing her and plopping down onto the couch mere seconds before his mother entered the room.  Rose remained standing and smiled at Mrs. Malfoy, who walked over and welcomed her, apologizing profusely for having kept her waiting, and she attempted not to blush yet again when Scorpius leaned down and said quietly to Rebby, who was filling the remaining three coffee cups, “Thanks for the warning, Rebby.  You’re the best.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Less than half an hour later, Rose found herself arriving at the entrance to the campsite adjacent to the Quidditch field in West Yorkshire, clutching Scorpius’s arm since he’d been there many times before and could easily Apparate the two of them.

 

“It’s only a bit down this way,” Mrs. Malfoy directed, taking her husband by the arm and leading them along the gravel pathway dividing the campsite from the pitch area.  Scorpius took Rose’s hand as they followed along just behind them, with both his own and her rucksacks slung over his shoulder.

 

None of them said anything as they walked, which Rose thought odd, or at least it was odd in comparison to her family, all of whom essentially thought that a moment of silence was a moment wasted.  And she bit her lip and looked away toward the campsites as they continued along the path, glancing at the people who were busily setting up their tents or milling about between the campsites in order to keep from either giggling or making some sort of comment, just to say _something_ , because to be honest, the silence was making her slightly uncomfortable since it was so different from what she was used to.  On the other hand, judging by the easy manner in which Scorpius was reacting, this was clearly a natural state of things and they weren’t not talking because she was there, and the quiet trip to their campsite gave her an opportunity to collect her thoughts and try to calm her nerves just a bit.

 

_So far, so good_ , she thought, as relief washed over her once more.  Scorpius’s mother had been nothing but pleasant from the moment she’d walked into the sitting room that morning, with her genuine smile and welcoming demeanor, and Rose easily understood how her mother had enjoyed working with Mrs. Malfoy at various times over the years.  She had a wicked sense of humor – one that her son had inherited – and she had the two of them in stitches as they’d waited for Mr. Malfoy to return home so they could leave for West Yorkshire.

 

Of course, she hadn’t expected anywhere near the same reception from Mr. Malfoy, and she’d been correct, as he’d welcomed her with what Rose could only call resignation.  Her heart had leapt into her throat and was pounding wildly when she’d heard him slam the front door shut and make his way into the sitting room after only a few minutes with Mrs. Malfoy, and Rose had prayed that he would at least treat her like her dad had treated Scorpius, by acknowledging her presence and not being rude, even if he wasn’t overly friendly.  

 

Thankfully, he had done precisely that.  After greeting his wife with a peck on the cheek – an action which actually surprised Rose, as she hadn’t actually thought about Scorpius’s parents being affectionate with each other, and she was reminded of her own parents, who everyone had teased for years about being unable to keep their hands off of each other – he’d turned to Rose and extended his hand, stiffly shaking it as he offered, “Good morning to you, Rose.”  

 

He hadn’t spoken to her again since, or really even paid her much attention for that matter, but Mr. Malfoy was clearly in a good mood, although peculiarly anxious about getting to West Yorkshire before ten o’clock, and Rose had been stunned to discover through her observations of his parents that Scorpius’s easy ability to be flirty could be at least in part attributed to his dad.

 

They had walked for what she estimated was five hundred or so meters when Mrs. Malfoy pulled Mr. Malfoy off the pathway and over into the grass, a satisfied smirk on her face.

 

“Here?” Mr. Malfoy asked, surprised. 

 

“What did I tell you, Draco?”  Scorpius’s mum looped one arm around his dad’s shoulders and gestured to the flat, open area directly in front of them.  “This is the perfect location, no?”

 

“A much better view than our site last year,” Mr. Malfoy nodded and Rose could see he was wearing a wide grin as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek then said more quietly, “Excellent choice, as always, my dear.  The Tremletts are setting up just there,” he nodded to his left, “and I noticed a group of people preparing the Minister’s tent, perhaps, four back.”

 

“Yes, I was sure you would be pleased.”  Mrs. Malfoy smiled back at him.  “That’s Sonja and Yves next to us, of course,” she motioned to the tent a few meters ahead of them, “and Blaise and Pansy will be setting up just down there,” she pointed a bit further down the campsite area, “but she said not to expect them until sometime after eleven.”

 

“Did you say they aren’t arriving until _after_ eleven?” Mr. Malfoy whipped his head around, and Rose noted a hint of worry in his voice that matched the somewhat distressed look on his face.  “Damn it, Blaise,” he muttered under his breath as he looked down, slightly shaking his head, before addressing his wife once more.  “He assured me he would be here early.  Senor Cisneros is arriving for lunch at noon.” 

 

Mrs. Malfoy patted his cheek lightly.  “Do not fret, _min skat_.  I’m quite sure he understands the importance and will arrive in time for your lunch meeting.  But they must pay for another day if they arrive before eleven, and you, of all people, should recall Pansy’s difficulties when it comes to parting with galleons.”

 

Rose gaped as both Scorpius and his mum sniggered and Scorpius’s dad coughed in what she was sure was an attempt to cover up one of his own and he offered his wife an amused look.  “Hanna, my dear, your uncanny insight into others is but one of the reasons I couldn’t possibly live without you,” he replied with a wink.

 

“You say that as if I would allow you to,” she retorted, arching an eyebrow at him defiantly before turning to Scorpius with a brilliant smile.  “Be a dear, Scorpius, and pitch the tent for us, won’t you, while your father and I pop in next door to surprise Sonja and Yves?” she asked, although Rose recognized the tone as one her mum used much of the time, and it was clearly an instruction rather than a request.

 

Mr. Malfoy turned back to Scorpius.  “Scorpius is more than capable of setting up the tent, aren’t you, son?”

 

“Of course,” Scorpius answered, sounding almost indignant as he dropped the rucksacks he was carrying onto the ground then knelt down and began removing the collapsed tent, ropes, and poles from inside his.

 

“Thank you, love,” Mrs. Malfoy said.  “I’d say we won’t be longer than half an hour.”

 

Mr. Malfoy stooped down and caught his son’s eye, and Rose wondered what sort of nonspoken conversation was going on between them.  “ _All of us_ will be returning in half an hour,” his dad reaffirmed in an undertone, his pointed gaze shifting up to Rose and back to his son.  “That should give you ample time to get settled in, Scorpius.”

 

He stood, offering his arm to Mrs. Malfoy, and she linked hers through it.  “Ready, my dear?”

 

Rose watched his parents continue along toward the Dahlens’ tent, and her cheeks burned, not sure if she’d correctly perceived the insinuations of Mr. Malfoy’s comment or if she was just overreacting.  For his part, Scorpius continued pulling components of the tent out of the bag, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had been said, and Rose decided that she was most likely reading too much into it and that questioning him about it would seem completely mental, so she bit her lip and pushed it to the back of her mind, which was easy enough because the sight of Scorpius bent down and rummaging through that rucksack was downright distracting.

 

After only another moment, he stood, wiping his hands on his trousers before pulling his wand out of the back pocket of his trousers and aiming it at the piled canvas and supports.  “ _Erecto!_ ”  

 

Rose giggled as she watched the tent take shape in front of them, fully assembled within seconds, and he cleared his throat as he glanced over at her.  “Something amusing?”

 

She grinned suggestively.  “Quite impressive, Malfoy.  Makes me wonder what else you can _erect_ with that wand...”

 

He fixed her with a stare that melted her to the core.  “As you are more than aware, I don’t need a wand for that.  But I am more than willing to demonstrate any amount of wand work you’d like me to.”  His tongue flicked across his lips and her breath caught as he asked, “Care for a tour?”

 

He didn’t wait for her to respond; instead, he took hold of her hand and led her into the tent which looked very much like the one in which she and Al had camped out in the back garden of the Burrow more times than she could count when they were younger.  Once inside, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her teasingly, guiding her backwards as they moved, one arm still wrapped around her waist.

 

“This is the sitting area,” he waved his free hand in the air, “and that’s the kitchen,” he continued, pointing to the first room off to the left.  Rose giggled against his lips when he motioned to the next room with an exaggerated grimace.  “And _that_ is my parents’ room.  Stay far, far away from there,” he emphasized, walking her toward the right side of the room.

 

“Here we have the dining area,” he said as he moved them through the next area without pausing, before stopping and pointing to three closed flaps.  “And finally, this is the loo,” he gestured exaggeratedly to the one in the middle, “and my room,” he motioned to the far flap, “and, most importantly, _this_ is your room.”

  
With a flourish, he swept open the nearest flap, holding it open as he guided her inside, giving her just enough time to notice that the room contained a bed, a small wardrobe, and a nightstand with a lamp before he kissed her again.  Rose was so consumed with him that she was slightly startled when she felt the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed, and she fell back onto it, bringing Scorpius down with her.

 

“I can’t believe I’m actually here with you,” she sighed, closing her eyes and arching her neck as his lips began moving sensually across her jaw.  “But we don’t have much time until your parents return.”

 

His tongue ran over a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear, and she shivered.  “You heard them.  We have half an hour to ‘get settled in’.”  He teased her earlobe between his teeth.  “And we’re looking ‘settled in’ to me.”

 

She pulled his face up in order to look him in the eye.  “Can we trust that they won’t come back sooner?  Really?  Or are you just saying that to get into my knickers?”  

 

“Well, I certainly _am_ trying to get into your knickers,” he waggled his eyebrows and smirked, “but yeah, we really do have half an hour before they’ll return.”  He slid one of his hands from her waist down over her hip and around to her bum, pressing his body against hers as he kissed her neck once more.  “You heard Father; I have his assurance of that.”

 

Rose’s breath caught and her eyes widened.  “So he thinks…I mean, does he know that we…”

 

“He doesn’t know anything, Rose, I promise you,” Scorpius assured her, leaning down to gently kiss the tip of her nose. 

 

“ _But he assumes_ ,” she protested, feeling slightly panicked.  From some of the books and television shows and movies that she’d seen over the years, she realized that Muggles were somewhat relaxed about sex, but as of yet, many of those in the wizarding world were not quite as liberal, especially when it came to women, and she wondered what Scorpius’s parents must think of her if they assumed she was shagging their son.

 

“So what?” he replied almost huffily with a heavy sigh, shifting off of her onto his side and resting his head on his hand as he gazed at her.  “First off, it’s only Father.  Mother has trouble seeing me as being old enough to imagine shagging my girlfriend, much less doing so.  Besides, she thinks I’m practically perfect in every way and you won her over ages ago, so it wouldn’t ever occur to her.  Second, he doesn’t actually _know_ anything, so it’s all pure conjecture on his part anyway, based upon knowing what it’s like to be seventeen and constantly randy.  And anyway, Father was shagging Pansy when he was my age, so I’m sure he’s silently congratulating me on making a much better choice than he did.”  

 

“Your dad dated _Professor Zabini_?” she asked incredulously, finding it difficult to envision his dad with her Potions professor.  Of course, it made sense; Scorpius had told her they were old friends and had been in Slytherin together, but she couldn’t believe he’d neglected to expound further upon the true nature of their friendship.  

 

“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about _them_.”  He began tracing circles around her breast through her thin t-shirt and although she tried forcing herself to remain focused on what he was saying rather than what he was doing, she was unable to stop her body from responding.  She’d craved his touch far too much for far too long, and all the while his fingers moved, she was thinking that her decision not to bother with a bra that morning had, quite possibly, been one of her best ever.

 

Her breath caught as his index finger lightly skimmed over her nipple, her eyes followed his as they dipped down to her chest, and she watched as it hardened more each time his fingertip swept over it, almost hypnotized.  She was startled when he spoke again, this time more quietly, his voice gruff with desire.  “Quite honestly, Rose, they probably _do_ know.  Because they know how I feel about you and that I intend for this to last.  So I don’t really care if they assume we’re doing precisely what we’re doing…or what we _should_ _be_ doing if we want to before they come back, which is in,” she felt him lift his other arm up behind her and he checked his watch over her shoulder, “twenty-three minutes.  Now, can we _please_ finish this conversation some other time, before we run out of time?”

 

_Oh god!_ she thought as he leaned in and kissed her again.  She wanted to believe everything he’d said, but she was wary and still feeling slightly embarrassed at the thought that his dad suspected that they were having sex.  More than that, she was completely astonished that his dad would so nonchalantly leave them to their own devices – alone – if he presumed that they were going to shag.  It was just so unlike anything she was accustomed to with her own dad, or her mum either, for that matter, and although she knew it was irrational, she couldn’t stop herself from fearing, in the back of her mind, that it was some sort of setup and that his dad was _trying_ to catch them so that he could publicly humiliate her by sending her home and explaining to her parents why.  

 

But as his tongue swept over hers and his hand gripped her thigh and his lower body moved against hers, Rose’s worries began to abate and her desires quickly took control.  Besides, she knew that Scorpius would never risk them getting caught and he was undeniably _not_ taking any steps to slow things down.

 

“If you’re certain,” she mumbled against his lips as she pulled at the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it up.

 

“I’m completely certain,” Scorpius replied, once again shifting to the side just long enough for her to pull his shirt over his head and for him to nearly yank hers off as well before enfolding her back into his arms and practically attacking her lips with his, his naked chest pressed against hers, and any control that she might’ve had snapped.

 

_More_ , she thought as she kissed him feverishly and she slipped her hands between them and began fumbling with the zip of his trousers.  

 

His grip on her thigh tightened and he tore his mouth from hers when she touched him.  “God, Rose,” he groaned, their eyes locked as his hips moved against her hand several times before he abruptly scooted off of her and the bed and stood.

 He answered her “Where are you going?” – which had actually only come out as a breathless “Where–” by reaching into his back pocket, pulling out his wand, and aiming a brisk “ _Colloportus”_ at the doorway, his gaze never leaving hers as he hurriedly toed off his shoes, stepped out of his trousers, and slid her shorts and knickers down her legs. 

Rose giggled as he flung them across the small room.  “Horrid nasty things, those knickers,” he teased, a sly smile on his face.  “They ought to be banned permanently.” 

“You should petition the Ministry about it,” she giggled, unable to stop herself from admiring his physique as he tossed his wand onto the night table and rejoined her on the bed, settling himself once more between her legs, causing her to nearly come off the bed when his teeth grazed her nipple. 

“I only care about banning yours,” he mumbled and somehow she managed to respond, “I’m sure that could be arranged,” as she greedily ran her hands up and down his back.  She could feel him just there, against her thigh, and she arched against him, literally aching for him. 

“I’ve missed you…missed this,” she said softly, all traces of humor gone as she hooked a leg over his hip and stared into his eyes, willing him to move. Scorpius pressed a gentle kiss against her lips and quickly thrust inside her, taking her breath away as she croaked, “Oh god.” 

“Fuck yes,” he moaned in agreement, establishing a rapid pace which Rose gladly followed.  

It felt amazing to be with him again and each time he entered her, she tightened her leg over his hip and pressed her heel into his bum, forcing him deeper with every stroke.  In what seemed like absolutely no time at all, she was at the edge of her climax and she clutched his shoulders with her hands as she came, moaning his name and bringing him along with her.

 

Scorpius collapsed beside her, his head resting on her collarbone, his hand cupping her left breast, and Rose threaded her fingers through his hair as they both struggled to regain their breath.

 

“Damn, Rose,” he mumbled before placing a soft, wet kiss against her skin.  “You are so bloody incredible.”

 

She gingerly touched his face.  “I think you’re bloody incredible.”

 

He looked up and rested his chin on her shoulder.  “Promise me we’ll never go that long again, alright?”  He kissed her neck and squeezed her breast teasingly.  

 

She giggled, lovingly brushing his hair back from his forehead.  “Fine by me.  Not as if it was my idea anyway.  If I remember correctly, _I_ tried to seduce you at my house, but _you_ resisted–”

 

“And it’s a bloody good thing,” he exclaimed, staring at her incredulously as he sat up, “considering your parents Floo’ed in and would’ve caught us.”

 

“You know I’m only joking,” she assured him.  She sat up as well and pressed a kiss against his chest.  “But speaking of parents returning and catching us…how much time do we have?  Don’t you suppose we need get dressed before they come back with company in tow?”

 

He sniggered.  “What if I want to flaunt you a bit?”

 

Rose rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully, giggling when he had to catch himself from falling off the edge of the bed.  “If you want to flaunt me, it will certainly not be starkers.”  She retrieved her t-shirt, which had landed near the head of the bed and pulled it over her head before turning back to Scorpius, who was lying along the edge of the bed, a wicked grin on his face.  She looked him directly in the eye, trying not to notice that he hadn’t put one stitch of his clothing back on.  “Scorpius, have you seen my knickers?”

 

“D’you mean these?” he held them up, twirling them around his index finger.

 

“Yes,” she said, reaching for them, but he moved his hand just out of her reach.  “What’ll you give me for them?”

 

She leaned in and kissed him, running her tongue over his lips, as she grabbed them from his outstretched hand.  “You can have them again later,” she whispered in his ear, narrowly escaping his grasp as he tried to pull her back down to the bed.  She caught a glimpse of the alarm clock on the night table and finished dressing quickly, then shoved his leg.  “They’ll be here in less than ten minutes.  C’mon.”

 

“Yeah, I know.”  He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his trousers, turning to her as she started for the doorway.  “Where’re you going?”

 

“I thought I’d start the water for tea,” she replied and he nodded.

 

“That’d be…yeah, thanks.  I’ll be right there.”

 

Rose made her way to the kitchen area and picked up the tea kettle, a silly smile on her face at how _domestic_ it felt as she filled it with water and placed it on the stove.  She glanced around the main living area of the tent, at the long green couch near the main entranceway, across from which were two large chairs that she was sure were big enough to comfortably fit two people, and she couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to be married to Scorpius and traveling with _their_ children…

 

Her breath caught slightly when his arms slid around her waist from behind and she leaned her head back, resting her cheek against his.

 

“Galleon for your thoughts,” he murmured in her ear.

 

“Nothing special,” she lied, in no way ready to share _that_ particular daydream with him.  “Just thinking about what a brilliant week this is going to be.”

 

“It’s off to a fucking fantastic start,” he agreed, pressing his lips against her cheek.  

 

She had just lifted his arm up to look at his watch when she was startled by a loud _crack_.  She turned to find Rebby standing in the middle of the main living area of the tent, and she reluctantly disentangled herself from Scorpius’s arms and took a seat on the couch. 

 

“Rebby is sorry if she startled Master Scorpius and Miss Wheezy.”  She snapped her fingers and a basket filled to the brim with food appeared on the dining table.  Scorpius helped himself to a couple of biscuits and a sandwich before taking a seat next to Rose, offering her half of his sandwich. 

 

“Want some?”

 

Rose shook her head and watched Rebby, levitating a tablecloth and dishes and glasses and silverware, and she took a deep cleansing breath.  She wasn’t entirely sure why, but some of the unease she’d felt when she’d been alone in the Malfoys’ sitting room waiting for them earlier that morning returned and she was almost relieved when just a moment later, she overheard voices approaching from outside. 

 

_Bloody fucking hell,_ Rose thought nervously.  She ran her hands through her hair and plastered a smile on her face as the flaps opened and his mum entered, followed by a tall, thin woman with long straight brown hair, a shorter, bald man with a graying beard, and Scorpius’s dad.  And many things – her concern about whether Scorpius’s parents suspected or could tell what she and Scorpius had been doing, her desire to make a good impression upon his parents and their friends, and her knowledge that she was actually meeting the coach of the Kites among them – ran through her mind.  But the most overwhelming thought of all was how she desperately hoped that she could make them like her.

 


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**    

“CANNONS ‘TIL WE DIE!” 

“SOAR TO GREATNESS, BATS!”

 

The stadium was loud and raucous, overflowing with shouts and chants and excitement as the more than twenty thousand people quickly filling it waited in anticipation for the match to begin, although Rose was certain none of them were _more_ excited than she was.  Even though she’d been to a handful of professional matches over the years and her parents had been to the Quidditch World Cup once when they were kids and once more a few years back, none of them had ever been to the league championships before, and she was enamored by the sights and sounds and atmosphere, which was far greater than even the most contested House match at school.  And from their vantage spot in one of the top boxes, not only could she see everything, but she could actually _feel_ every surge as the crowd below them applauded and cheered and the fans of each team vied to outdo each other.

 

Not surprisingly, the majority of those filling the pitch were dressed in black.  The Bats had always been one of the most popular in the league, but they had become even more increasingly so over the past several years, thanks to championship victories in seven of the last eight years on the shoulders of their Captain and Seeker, Cassius Stoeking, and the emergence of Rolf Edwards as a world-class Keeper _and_ the league’s most eligible bachelor.  But Rose was terribly pleased to see many large pockets of orange smattered throughout, estimating that the Cannons fans made up about forty percent of those present.  And naturally, she’d done her part and was decked out from head to toe in orange, despite the fact that it clashed terribly with her hair and didn’t do anything complimentary for her complexion.  She had to admit, though, as she glanced over at him, that at least the color didn’t wash her out completely, as it did to Scorpius.  Nevertheless, he’d been a tremendously good sport and had donned the bright orange Cannons t-shirt she’d presented him with without hesitation, notwithstanding the guffaws from Rory when he’d joined the pair of them to walk to the pitch or the look on Mr. Malfoy’s face when they’d sat down to breakfast that morning followed by his remark that it looked as if a persimmon had exploded upon the two of them.

 

Whereas at the beginning of the trip, Rose would have thought him serious, she now got the impression that Mr. Malfoy was more amused than appalled, and Scorpius’s clear nonchalance in the face of his dad’s comments bled over to her as well.  In fact, over the course of the week, as she’d spent more time around him, she had to admit that she found him quite witty, in spite of – or perhaps, in part, due to – his snide remarks and disinterested or incredulous looks here and there.  And even though she’d made it a point not to spend any time alone with him, not that there had been much opportunity anyway, Rose had to admit that she really _was_ starting to like Mr. Malfoy.  And at moments, she got the feeling that he had grown quite accustomed to having her around and that he had grown, if not _fond_ of her, at least _accepting_ of her and her relationship with Scorpius, taking it as a good sign when he had, early on during the previous weekend, followed Mrs. Malfoy’s lead and started referring to Rose as “Scorpius’s girlfriend” around others.

 

Not that she could even begin to remember everyone she’d met in the past five days, with a few exceptions, of course, with Sonja Dahlen, the coach of the Karasjok Kites, who just so happened to be Mrs. Malfoy’s dearest friend and Scorpius’s godmother, and Donaghan Tremlett, the bass player for The Weird Sisters, topping the list.  

 

Thankfully, she had managed to keep her cool when meeting Mrs. Dahlen that first morning, finding the woman terribly engaging from the moment she’d stepped inside the tent and pulled Scorpius in a tight embrace before holding him at arm’s length and admonishing, in an accent that Rose had suspected was perhaps Polish, a fact that she’d confirmed with Scorpius later, “It has been too long.  I’ve had no owls from you in a month.”  But then her eyes flitted to Rose and a knowing grin played over her lips.  “Although I suspect she is why you have been too busy for me?”  Scorpius had laughed and introduced them, and she’d been a bit caught off guard when Mrs. Dahlen pulled her into an embrace as well, but she was quickly put at ease by both Mrs. Dahlen and her husband, the announcer for the Kites, both of whom entertained the group with stories of the previous season, and by the time Professor Zabini and her family arrived, Rose was feeling _almost_ comfortable.  

 

The same could not be said about her meeting with Donaghan Tremlett at dinner two nights later, and Rose winced, recalling how she’d practically fallen all over herself, giggling and shaking his hand a bit too vigorously and gushing about what a “true pleasure” it was to meet him and how she and her parents were “huge fans” until Rory, of all people, had come to her rescue and dragged her away before she’d made an even bigger fool of herself.  Thankfully, Mrs. Tremlett had been considerably gracious and Mr. Tremlett had been quite amused and had even given her an autograph, which she couldn’t wait to show to her parents, who she knew would be terribly envious.  But as she thought on it later, still embarrassed over her overreaction to meeting him, Rose wondered if he’d ever felt as uncomfortable with his celebrity as she knew Uncle Harry did each time he was approached by someone, their eyes wide and their faces flushed as they stammered and giggled and acted ridiculous, hanging on to his every word while being too star-struck to actually say anything more than respond with one syllable answers.  She was glad, however, to have met him before and not acted completely awestruck – and entirely _mental_ – when he’d arrived only a few minutes ago and taken a seat three rows behind her today, having done so in front of only nine other people instead of the twenty or so occupying their box.

 

Of course, this entire trip had been quite eye-opening for Rose, and she had a newfound appreciation not only for Scorpius’s family but for her own as well, discovering that this group of very dear friends that the Malfoys socialized with the entire week were almost like an extended family.  And other than going to the final match itself, Quidditch was hardly the focus of the week; in reality, the whole thing was simply an opportunity for Scorpius’s family and their friends to get together for an almost non-stop social event, and she now understood the necessity for arriving on Friday and spending nearly an entire week before the match was actually played on Wednesday.

 

But now that Wednesday was here, the Quidditch was _the thing_ , and although the adults were quite engaged in their own conversations – talking business and recalling the past and making future plans – as they milled around the box and called out to people that they knew who were sitting nearby, Rose and Scorpius and Rory were impatiently awaiting the match to begin.  

 

She leaned across Scorpius and took hold of his left wrist to look at his watch, sighing as she fought to control her ever growing impatience.

 

“It’s a quarter past ten,” Rory informed her needlessly, and Scorpius chimed in teasingly, “Yeah, all of two minutes since the last time you looked.”

 

Rose glared at the both of them.  “So I’m anxious,” she retorted with a toss of her hair.

 

Scorpius reached around her and rested his arm over the back of her seat.  “These things hardly ever begin on time.”

 

“Besides,” Rory added, “the match isn’t scheduled to begin until ten-thirty.”  

 

“Ten-thirty?” she asked in exasperation.  “I thought it was supposed to have started at ten.”

 

“No, the pre-game festivities were to have started at ten.”

 

“Well, that’s just rubbish.  You would think that those in charge could at least make sure it started on time,” she fussed, crossing her arms over her chest with an exaggerated huff.  “And stop looking at me like that,” she directed, trying not to grin; she could see Scorpius staring at her out of the corner of her eye and she recognized his amused smirk right away.  “It isn’t funny.”

 

“But it is,” he replied cheekily and he was fighting back a chuckle, she could tell.  “There are few things I find more amusing than seeing you get worked up.”  Although she kept her eyes locked on the still empty field, she could hear Rory snickering and she sensed Scorpius leaning in, feeling his breath hot against her cheek.  “Few things I find more appealing either,” he whispered, and she felt her cheeks burning as a shy smile played over her lips and a giggle escaped from between them.

 

She turned her head slightly, just enough to meet his gaze, and nearly bumped noses with him he was so close.  “I rather like working you up as well,” she replied just loud enough for only him to hear, arching her eyebrow teasingly and licking her lips lightly.  Scorpius stared at her lips and she knew she’d struck a chord and that he was seriously considering whether or not to snog her right then and there.

 

Not that she was all that concerned that his parents or any of their friends would notice anyway; they were hardly paying any mind to anyone under the age of forty.  Besides, as Rose had discovered early on, Scorpius’s parents really didn’t seem to mind if their son was snogging his girlfriend – or shagging her, for that matter – seeing as they never felt the need to keep tabs on the two of them and had pretty much left them to their own devices for the majority of the trip.  Of course, she was still gobsmacked that his parents weren’t more concerned with their comings and goings, especially since she was quite sure that _her_ parents would never have let them out of their sight, but she and Scorpius had taken advantage of the situation by spending every night together, without worrying about sneaking in and out of their respective rooms, and even the not so remote possibility that his dad was more than likely aware where Scorpius was spending his nights, and what they were doing, couldn’t even dampen her excitement.

 

She startled at the sound of a group of energetic Cannons fans screaming at each other, even as an excited shiver ran up her spine at the thought of spending another entire night with Scorpius, fueled by the sexy way in which he was watching her, and she nibbled on her lower lip in a way she knew he found particularly enticing, delighted when he leaned in and pressed an entirely too chaste, too quick kiss against her lips.

 

“Merlin, are you joking?” Rory groaned from his seat on Scorpius’s other side.  “Can’t you two give it a rest?”

 

Scorpius snickered and shifted in his seat, elbowing Rory in the ribs.  “You’re only sore because your arse is here _alone_.”

 

“Yeah, well, we can’t all be so fortunate, can we?” Rory grumbled half-heartedly before winking in her direction, and Rose smiled back, grateful that after spending practically every waking moment together over the past five days, she and Rory seemed to have moved past any semblance of their earlier animosity and beyond their resigned tolerance of each other, and they were finally well and truly friends in their own right.  “Not everyone’s parents are as lenient as yours.”

 

“What are you on about?” Scorpius scoffed.  “When have either Blaise or Pansy ever denied you _anything_ you asked for?  You just didn’t _ask_.”

 

“And your mum’s rather easygoing when she isn’t at school,” Rose added, meaning every word.  After spending a great deal of time with her outside of school and seeing her in an entirely different element, Rose confirmed that she _really_ liked Professor Zabini.  She still had moments of sarcasm and snark just as she did at school, but for the most part, she had been relaxed and rather humorous.  And from the moment that she’d arrived at the Malfoys’ tent last Friday morning, from addressing her with a genuine smile on her face as she hugged her to introducing Rose to Mr. Zabini and her daughter, Bea, as her “best student,” Professor Zabini had done everything in her power to make Rose feel welcome and included.  

 

She couldn’t, however, say the same thing for the other two members of Rory’s family.  Mr. Zabini had barely taken the time to even look Rose’s way, much less say anything to her.  Not that she really minded; for all his good looks and apparent ability to charm the pants off of his business associates according to Mrs. Malfoy, Rory’s dad was really rather boring, and Rose had discovered that his indifference was not simply reserved for her but pretty much handed out to anyone other than his immediate family, his closest friends, and anyone he was attempting to impress.

 

She’d also immediately taken a dislike to Rory’s elder sister, Bea, who had greeted Scorpius a bit too enthusiastically by throwing her arms around his neck, planting a lingering wet kiss against his cheek entirely too close to his mouth, and remarking that he got better looking every time she saw him.  She’d also been all too eager to inform Rose that she’d been the one to give Scorpius his first _proper_ kiss, goading her with a loaded comment about what promise he’d shown with his technique even then and if she’d known how dishy he was going to turn out, she might’ve considered giving him more than simply a kiss.  Naturally, Rose had quickly retorted that there certainly wasn’t anything to complain about concerning Scorpius’s _technique_ , or anything else he had to offer for that matter.  Thankfully, that had been enough to shut her up, and Scorpius had dragged Rose off before either of them could say another word, at least at that particular moment.  But Bea had been more than unpleasant and Rose was glad that she’d had other, “more exciting” people to hang around with than her parents or her little brother and their friends. 

 

“Shows what you know,” Rory snorted.  “She may have you fooled for now, but how quickly you forget…there’s nothing worse than being put in your place by my mother.”

 

“Unless it’s by my father,” Scorpius laughed, and Rory groaned.

 

“I’ll give you that one.  I never did quite recover from that time he caught us sneaking mead into your room when we were … what, twelve?  D’you remember how he made us drink the entire bottle with no hangover potion or charm and then he just sat there and _stared_ at us while he Flooed my parents over?  ‘Course, having both Draco _and_ Mother coming down on us…”

 

Scorpius laughed, but Rose grimaced.  “Bleeding hell!” she said.  “I can’t even imagine.”

 

“You have no idea,” Rory agreed, chuckling.

 

Rose noticed that the seats around them had filled, as the rest of their party took their seats, and her eyes skimmed the rest of the stadium, wondering if things were finally getting underway.  She glanced around at Scorpius when she felt him tug on her hair and found him pointing across the way to the left side of the pitch.  “You can relax now.  It looks as if there’s some activity in the Minister’s box, so I expect it won’t be too much longer.”

 

“It’s about time,” she heard Rory exclaim impatiently as she craned her neck around to look over at the Minister’s box, pleased to see that Scorpius was right.  There was a great deal of bustle going on, and as she watched the Minister’s contingent arrive at last and make their way to their respective seats, Rose’s earlier impatience gave way to pure excitement.

 

Minister Shacklebolt led the way, joined, _of course_ , Rose thought with a roll of her eyes, by Genevieve Dawlish, who seemed never to be too far from Kingsley’s side, and not for the first time, she wondered if the rumors of a relationship between the two of them were, in fact, true.  He was followed by a number of people she had never seen before but whom she assumed were closely associated with the two teams playing, and they were followed by several employees of the Minister’s office that Rose _did_ recognize, including, unexpectedly, her Uncle Percy and Auntie Angelina, who sat down on the Minster’s other side, and Uncle Percy’s personal assistant, Jools Bjorklund, who was holding hands with a very handsome, dark-haired wizard. 

 

“Isn’t that your uncle?” Scorpius asked, his voice laden with surprise.  She nodded and he raised an eyebrow.  “You didn’t mention they were coming.”

 

Rose shrugged.  “I didn’t know they were coming.  But it looks as if Minister Shacklebolt’s brought most of his staff and Uncle Percy’s.  I hope I can catch up with Jools after the match…d’you remember her?  You might not since she was five years ahead of us, but she and my cousin, Karla, are good friends and she works as Uncle Percy’s assistant.  That’s her sitting next to Auntie Angelina.”

 

He nodded and opened his mouth as if he was going to reply just as one of the men sitting in the Minister’s box stood and a loud voice boomed throughout the stadium.

 

“Good day, Quidditch fans!  On behalf of the Ministry of Magic and the Department of Magical Sports and Games, I’d like to welcome you to the three hundred and forty-ninth league championship finals between the Ballycastle Bats and the Chudley Cannons.”

 

A roar of cheers erupted throughout the stands as everyone stood and shouted; among them, Rose clapped excitedly and screamed loudly for the Cannons.  

 

Solomon Jamisen, Head of the Department of Magical Sports and Games, continued his preliminary speech and took, in Rose’s opinion, entirely too much time thanking the various business sponsors, including Scorpius’s and Rory’s dads, for their support before finally announcing the teams.  But as he did, she joined in as all twenty thousand fans cheered in delight as the fourteen players zoomed over the field and as the introduction of the individual players followed, with the largest cheers sounding for Cassius Stoeking and Rolf Edwards of the Bats, Elspeth Jones of the Cannons, and for the official, former Keeper for the Pride of Portree, Meghan McCormack, when she, at long last, released the balls and the match began.

 

Being a Seeker herself, Rose watched the Snitch whiz up into the air and disappear from her view within seconds.  She tuned out the clamor around her, just as she would in a match she was playing, focusing her attention primarily upon Jones and Stoeking.  Rose was completely enthralled as she watched them, flying in between and around the other players almost as if in tandem, all the while taunting each other while always keeping an eye out for the Snitch.  She was watching them so intently that she very nearly forgot there were twelve other players on the pitch and a stadium full of people surrounding her, and she was more than a little startled when Scorpius nudged her with his elbow some time later.

 

“D’you see it?” Scorpius asked excitedly from behind his Omnioculars, and Rose shook her head, although her eyes never left the game.

 

“Not yet.  Do you?”

 

“Yeah, it’s there.”

 

Her gaze followed along to where he was pointing and, sure enough, there was the Snitch, flitting around the bottom of the Cannons’ middle hoop, and she watched it for several seconds before it disappeared again.  

 

The match progressed in an ugly tone, with fouls being assessed against all four of the Beaters, one of the Chasers for the Bats, and two of the Cannons’ Chasers, and the battle between Jones and Stoeking escalated.  Points were hard to come by, as both Keepers were the best Rose had ever seen, managing to save nearly every goal, and three and a half hours in, the score was only one hundred to eighty, in favor of the Bats.  Meanwhile, neither Jones nor Stoeking had allowed the other get more than a few meters away as they sparred and jousted and flew amid the other players, dodging Bludgers and searching for the Snitch, which seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

 

The Bats continued to lead but never by more than fifty points, and Rose held out hope that the Cannons could pull it out until their Keeper, Darby Cogdill, was hit with a Bludger and fell from his broom somewhere near the five hour mark.  Within minutes, the Bats’ Chasers had scored three quick goals, and Rose groaned as she felt someone poking her arm hard and heard Rory proclaim gleefully, “Looks like your Cannons are finished, Weasley.”

 

“Sod off, Zabini,” she retorted, never taking her eyes from the field as she did the math in her head.  The Bats were up by eighty, so as long as Jones caught the Snitch before they scored another seven goals, the Cannons could still win.

 

But her hope began to fade as none of the Cannons’ Chasers could get anything by Edwards, who still looked as fresh as he had when the match first began, and just as the Bats went up by one hundred fifty, Jones and Stoeking began diving for the Snitch, which was weaving in and out of the Bats’ goals.

 

“IT’S YOURS, STOEKING!”

 

“GET IT, JONES!”

 

Rose heard several loud shouts from all over the stands, and she stood and screamed as well, praying that Jones would catch it and that somehow, whichever one of the Cannons’ Chasers who had the Quaffle – she refused to take her eyes off of the Snitch to see which one – would manage to score beforehand.

 

“Please, please, please,” she muttered, watching intently as Jones and Stoeking dove in tandem, both of them pulling up in time, and both of them reaching for the Snitch, with Jones having the slight advantage which was just enough, and she held it up victoriously, drenched in sweat as she flew into the middle of the pitch.

 

Rose’s eyes flew to the scoreboard as Solomon Jamisen’s voice boomed across the pitch, “CANNONS WIN BY A FINAL SCORE OF THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY TO TWO HUNDRED TEN!” and she launched herself into Scorpius’s arms.

 

“They did it!” she shrieked.  “Oh my god, they actually did it!”

 

“They were brilliant!” Scorpius exclaimed as he picked her up and twirled her around.  

 

“Who’s finished now, Zabini?” she called out mid-twirl, a huge smile on her face.

 

She heard him chuckle sardonically as Scorpius set her down and he, too, turned to face Rory.  “Looks like you’ve lost our wager, mate,” he laughed, and Rory shrugged indifferently. 

 

“So what?  That was the best match we’ve seen in _years_.  Totally worth eating a bit of crow for you,” he nodded in Rose’s direction and then returned his eyes to Scorpius, “and worth all the galleons I owe you.”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Rose sighed as she pulled a brush through her hair, waiting for Scorpius to finish up in the bathroom and join her.  It had been a long day, as the Malfoys had entertained from early afternoon until far into the evening, with never-ending food and drinks flowing.  Their final guests – the Dahlens – hadn’t excused themselves to their tent until after midnight, staying in order for Mrs. Dahlen to encourage Scorpius, for possibly the twentieth time that week, to try out for Kites – “or if not the Kites, _some_ professional Quidditch team,” she’d insisted – because he was “terribly talented” like his mother and it would be “a terrible waste” if he didn’t at least give it a go.  

 

And while she had enjoyed herself tremendously and had a few glasses of Firewhisky to boot, Rose was literally exhausted from it all.  But as she glanced over to the alarm clock on her nightstand, noting that it was already after one o’clock, Mrs. Malfoy’s directive to get a good night’s sleep because they were due to leave at nine the following morning rang in her ears, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how, in less than eight hours, this practically idyllic week would be over and they would be returning home.

 

“I don’t want to go,” she murmured to herself, fighting back the emotions running through her.  But at least they had one more night falling asleep together and one more morning waking up in each other’s arms.

 

She recalled, with a bittersweet giggle, how she’d nearly had a heart attack when her eyes had jerked open the previous Saturday morning, squinting from the sunlight streaming through the small window in her room, unsure exactly where she was for a moment…until she felt Scorpius’s arm was still wrapped securely around her waist and his breath on the back of her shoulder.

 

And she’d immediately panicked, wondering what if his parents knew or what if they’d been there and seen the two of them, lying naked in her bed, her knickers still hanging from the lamp where he’d flung them the night before.

 

“Scorpius,” she’d hissed as she shook his forearm, moving his hand away when it shifted upwards and cupped her breast before turning toward him, thinking, _This cannot be happening_.

 

He’d been fast asleep, and she put her hand on his chest and pressed against it.  

 

“Scorpius,” she’d repeated, slightly louder, trying to keep it together, even as her alarm grew by the minute.

 

He’d lazily opened one eye and smiled sleepily at her, murmuring, “Hey,” and attempting to pull her closer as he closed his eye once more, clearly ignoring her when she’d tried again.  

 

“Scorpius, we have to get up.  It’s morning, and …”

 

He’d pressed a kiss against her lips and almost caused her to forget that she was supposed to be getting him out of her bed, actually returning his kiss for a moment before pushing him away.  

 

“No you don’t…we have to get up,” she’d continued, sure that the anxiety she felt was evident in her voice.  “It’s morning and you didn’t go back to your room.”

 

“Didn’t think you wanted me to go,” he’d mumbled, his eyes still closed, clearly not appreciating the direness of the situation.

 

“I didn’t,” she’d insisted as she sat up, careful to bring the sheet with her to cover her bare chest, “but…what if your parents went to your room and found your bed empty?  Or worse, what if they came in here –”

 

“Rose, they would never come in here, I can assure you of that.  Nor would they venture into my room this early in the morning.”  Scorpius had slowly turned onto his back and rubbed his eyes with his hands.  “What time is it anyway?”

 

She’d reached over him and retrieved his watch from the night table.  “Oh, bloody fucking hell,” she’d gasped, “it’s a quarter of nine.”  She’d made to slip out of his bed but was halted by Scorpius’s hand on her arm.

 

“Relax.”  She’d felt his hand slide along her lower back.  “They don’t care what time we get up, besides which, they would never intrude.  There’s a better chance of Rebby catching us than Mother or Father.”

 

“That’s supposed to be better?” Rose had asked, stricken, just imagining what Rebby would think of her and possibly relay to Scorpius’s mother.

 

“I didn’t say she _would_ ,” he’d sighed, “only that if anyone did, it would be her.  But don’t worry, Father told me last night that he and Mother were having breakfast with Sonja and Yves and would be gone before we got up, and I told Rebby not to bother either of us before ten.”  His fingers dug slightly into her waist and she’d allowed herself to be guided back until she was lying in bed, facing him once again.  “So you see, we’ve plenty of time to wake up properly,” he’d muttered before kissing her soundly and slipping his hand up her inner thigh, and all thoughts of his parents or Rebby had disappeared from her mind as they’d welcomed the morning in a most enticing way.

 

Of course, falling asleep with him every night – after shagging him as much as she wanted – had been more bloody brilliant than she ever would have imagined but in all honestly, it was waking up with him every morning which Rose was cherishing more than anything else and the part she knew she would miss the most when they went home the next day.

 

She felt one of his arms slide around her waist from behind.  “Something amusing?” he asked quietly, moving her hair to the side to press his lips against her neck.  

 

Rose shook her head, arching her neck and closing her eyes as he sucked lightly on the spot just below her ear.  She heard his breathing grow more rapid and felt his hands cupping her breasts, and she sighed once more, this time in pleasure, leaning against him, her back resting against his chest.

 

“Rose,” he muttered as he turned her in his arms but before she could open her eyes, she felt his lips against hers, his tongue slipping between them.

 

She responded vigorously to Scorpius’s kiss and welcomed his hands roaming her body once more.  She didn’t _want_ to stop kissing him.  She didn’t _want_ to stop touching him.  She didn’t _want_ to stop going to sleep with him at night and waking up with him in the morning.  And she repeated in her mind, _I love you_ , over and over as their mouths met again and again.

 

And she certainly didn’t mind when they undressed each other slowly before she pushed him back onto the bed, enjoying the predatory way in which he was watching her as she joined him, her body draped over his, straddling his waist, and positioning his arms above his head before threading her fingers into his hair.

 

“Now don’t move,” she directed, her voice barely more than a whisper, and she began kissing his face, starting at his forehead, moving down to his temple, over his eyelid, across his cheek, over his nose, down his jaw, around to his ear, and back the way she came, purposely avoiding his mouth even as he moved and strained, trying to touch his lips to hers but restrained by her hold on his head.

 

“Bloody fucking hell, Rose.  _Please_ let me kiss you,” he groaned, but still she resisted, completing the circle around his face once more before murmuring, “I love you,” and finally, very lightly, running the tip of her tongue over his open lips.

 

At that, it was as if he lost all control and Rose felt herself rising as Scorpius sat up beneath her, his hands clutching her cheeks as he literally plundered her mouth with his.  She felt his hands leave her face and move down her back to clutch her hips, crushing her body against his, and she wrapped her arms as tightly around his neck as she could, her fingernails sliding up and down the back of his neck and into his hair.

 

He tore his mouth from hers, his breathing heavy and hot against her cheek then her jaw then her ear, and she ground against him as his tongue ran along the shell of her ear and his lips moved down her neck before he nipped at her shoulder at the same time he thrust inside her.

 

“I fucking love you,” Scorpius groaned and Rose gasped, feeling his hands splayed across her lower back, holding her still against him.  “Don’t move,” he instructed, and for a moment, she thought he was going to tease her like she’d teased him earlier, but his closed eyes and several deep breaths confirmed that he had no intention of teasing her, and she ran her fingers through his hair, all the while thinking how much she loved the way he looked and his scent and the sound of his voice and way he tasted and how he _felt_ against her, inside her, around her, and that she never, ever, wanted it to end.

 

Scorpius caught his breath and began shifting beneath her, guiding her hips in a slow, deliberate rhythm and the thought occurred to Rose that she might simply _die_ right then and there, the pleasure was so great.  In no time at all, she found herself panting his name and climaxing hard, digging her nails into his scalp as she tightened her arms around his neck and pressed her body as close to his as she possibly could.  She felt his arms tighten around her waist and his open mouth pressed against her collarbone, and just as her breathing began to slow, he came, moaning her name reverently.

 

They remained wrapped around each other for a few minutes, and when he’d caught his breath, Scorpius slowly lay back, taking Rose with him.  She shifted off of him onto her side and he turned until they were lying face to face, their legs intertwined, and the exhaustion of the day washed over her once more.

 

Scorpius closed his eyes and she smoothed his sweat-soaked hair back from his forehead with one hand, resting the other against him, her fingers absentmindedly stroking the hair on his chest before she leaned forward and placed a wet kiss on his breastbone, and her eyes welled up with tears when she realized that his heart was beating in unison with her own.

 

“Rose –” he murmured, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

 

“It’s all gone by so fast,” she muttered softly.  “It feels as if we’ve only just got here.”

 

He nodded and sighed heavily, his eyes remaining closed.  “I know.  It’s been bloody brilliant.”

 

“I’m not ready to go home.”  She felt several tears slide down across the bridge of her nose and down her temple.  “I don’t want to go home.”

 

Scorpius didn’t reply, responding instead by leaning forward and placing the gentlest of kisses against her lips before resting his forehead against hers.  She could hear his breathing slowing as he succumbed to sleep, and Rose watched him for a few moments, doing everything in her power to stop the night from ending and wishing there was something she could do to stop the morning from coming.  But her own exhaustion overtook her and, against her will, her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of sitting in the stands, watching Scorpius play professional Quidditch against his mum and Sonja Dahlen, and of hosting all-day parties, attended by all of the Weasleys and Potters and all of the Malfoys and a few hundred of their closest friends, and of being addressed as Scorpius’s wife by Donaghan Tremlett when he introduced her to the rest of The Weird Sisters as their newest band member.

  __


	27. Chapter 27

  
Author's notes:

_a/n:  I'm so sorry that it's taken me such a long time between updates, but I had a bit of bad luck and lost my flashdrive with the chapter almost finished, and it took me a while to recover. *sigh*  But hopefully, I can get back on track and get it finished up within the next couple of months.  *crosses fingers*  And thank you, yet again, to the best betas ever for all of their insights and putting up with my many drafts and revisions._

 

* * *

** Chapter 27 **

"Hang on," Ellie turned her head slightly toward the door, pausing.  Her frown quickly turned to an angry glare as she yanked the door open and clearly startled her younger sister.

" _Go away, Evelyn_.  We're busy."

"But I'm bored," she whined as she stepped into Ellie's bedroom.  " _Please_ let me stay.  I want to hear about the Quidditch championship, too."  Evelyn looked imploringly at Rose, who was sitting in the middle of Ellie's bed.  "Please, Rose?  I promise to sit and be quiet."

Rose hid a sympathetic smile behind her hand as she watched Ellie shake her head emphatically.  She most certainly did not want to include Evelyn, who had recently turned ten and was terribly nosy, in their conversation – especially not in _this_ conversation.  It had been a week since she'd come home from West Yorkshire but between returning back to work at the shop and Ellie splitting her days between helping out her mum and doing volunteer duty at St. Mungo's, it was the first opportunity they'd had to see each other, and when Ellie owled that morning and asked her to come over before they went out for the evening so that they could catch up, Rose had jumped at the invitation.  Even though she agreed wholeheartedly with Ellie and had no intention of allowing Evelyn to intrude, Rose felt for the girl nevertheless, recalling the numerous times, not all that many years before, her cousins had done the same thing to her when all she'd wanted to do was be included in their conversations.  

"I said no," Ellie said through gritted teeth.  "Now go or else I'll call for Mum and she'll make you."

"Fine!" Evelyn responded, stomping her foot.  "But you don't have to be so mean, Ellie."

Ellie simply glared and Rose fought back a snicker, barely managing to stifle it as Evelyn huffed and very slowly dragged her feet as she trudged past Ellie and through the doorway.

"I'll tell you all about the match later," Rose offered, but Evelyn ignored her and tossed her head indignantly just before Ellie slammed the door shut behind her and cast a _Muffliato_ on it.

"Good lord," Ellie huffed, rolling her eyes.  " _Finally_.  She's been that way all summer.  I've barely been able to use the toilet without her being right there."

"She idolizes you," Rose smirked.  "Personally, I think it's sweet."

"Yes, well, you would think so, wouldn't you?"  Ellie retorted as she sat down cross-legged on the bed directly facing Rose.  "Hugo could care less about being included when we're at your house."

Rose snorted.  "Hugo would rather have his body parts splinched off one by one than be included in our conversations.  But go easy on her, Ellie.  I remember what it felt like when Therese and Lora would hole up in one of the bedrooms at my grandparents' house for one of their 'super-secret' conversations and not let me and Lily in." 

Ellie huffed.  "Okay, I know," she muttered as she pulled a pillow into her lap.  "But she's been such a nuisance, especially where Al is concerned.  It's as if she has an antenna or something and knows when I'm going out with him or he's coming over."

"Perhaps she has a crush on him," Rose said, feigning nonchalance.  "Fancying Potter men _does_ seem to run in your family, after all."

"Stop it!  That isn't funny!" Ellie gasped, doing her best not to laugh as a blush crept up her cheeks, finally giving in.  "Okay, so it is.  You've never told Al about that, have you?"

"No, I promised you I wouldn't," Rose insisted.  "But I don't see why _you_ don't tell him.  It's hilarious."

Ellie looked positively aghast at the suggestion.  "Are you daft?  It isn't hilarious, it's embarrassing."

"Only to your mum, who wouldn't have told you if she didn't think it was laughable.  Besides she was how old…thirteen?  I think Al would –"

"She was fourteen and old enough to know better.  And what if it had been your mum once slipping a love potion into a box of chocolate cauldrons to Scorpius's dad?" Ellie asked.  "Would you think it so hilarious and be so keen to share the story with him?"

The mixed absurdity and tragedy of that suggestion was not lost on Rose, and she grimaced.  Of course, Ellie knew nothing of her parents' past disputes with Mr. Malfoy, only of the animosity they shared as adults, and Rose had no intention of ever betraying her parents' trust and telling her best friend the truth.  "No, I see what you mean," Rose conceded.  "Although my parents haven't ever been friends with Scorpius's dad at all.  At least your mum and Uncle Harry like each other now, and she and Auntie Ginny are good friends."

"I suppose," Ellie shrugged.  "But enough about that.  We've more important things to talk about than my mum's adolescent romantic pursuits.  I'm dying to hear all about your trip and I have _so much_ to tell you."

"Yeah?" Rose asked, noticing a gleam in Ellie's eye.  "Do tell.  What's the latest?"

"I'll start with what happened yesterday," she said, her excitement evident.  "So you know I've been shadowing my dad at St. Mungo's this summer –"

"Uh huh."

"– and I've learned loads already about poisonous plants and contagious diseases.  I even helped him diagnose a case of dragon pox earlier in the week."  She took a breath, clearly ignoring the look of amusement on Rose's face.  "Well, on Thursday, there was an emergency in the Dai Llewellyn Ward, and Dad got called in to assist, and he let me watch.  And then the Healer-in-Charge, Healer Pye, saw that I was taking notes, and he and Dad spoke to Director Smethwyck, and they're going to let me shadow Healer Pye for a whole week, starting Monday."

"Ellie, that's excellent!"  Rose congratulated her, genuinely impressed.  "I can't imagine many students get that sort of opportunity."

" _No_ students get this type of opportunity," Ellie corrected, a beaming smile on her face.  "It's unheard of, really, and I'm still not sure how it's happening now.  Perhaps just being in the right place or something.  And that's not even the best part.  You know how Dad wasn't going to be assigned to the Janus Thickey Ward until October?"  She didn't wait for Rose's nod before continuing, "They've changed his rotation and he'll be there for the last two weeks of August, which means _I'll_ be there as well."

Since she'd been a girl, Ellie'd had a soft spot for the patients in the Janus Thickey Ward – including Cameron's grandparents and Gilderoy Lockhart – and she'd visited them anytime she accompanied her dad to the hospital, so Rose knew how much it meant to her to spend the final two weeks of her summer break caring for them.  She reached out and squeezed her best friend's hand.  "Seriously, that's aces."

"I know!  I couldn't believe it when Dad told me.  I'm over the moon about it."

"As you should be.  You couldn't have planned it any better if you'd tried, could you?"  She smiled wistfully.  "I'm really pleased for you, but I'm also envious.  You've known you wanted to be a Healer for as long as I can remember and now you're working in that direction.  You're not waiting on someone else to tell you what you're going to do with your life."

"Still nothing?" Ellie asked, squeezing Rose's hand this time.  

"It's only one of many options, right?" Rose shrugged.  Neville had submitted her application to the Ministry three months earlier, but she had yet to hear anything, either positive or negative, from anyone, and she was becoming more and more discouraged with each passing week.  "Perhaps I should try and get on at St. Mungo's with you or go with Al to Egypt," she muttered.

"You know you'd hate St. Mungo's, and I'm not sure I could bear both you _and_ Al going to Egypt for two whole years.  It'll be awful enough as it is," Ellie said softly, and Rose detected a real sense of sadness in her voice.  Al had made no secret of his desire to become a curse-breaker, which required him to train and live exclusively in Egypt for two years, and Rose understood Ellie's lack of enthusiasm for such a long separation; she had often wondered whether Scorpius, with his limited career opportunities in Britain thanks to the bloody Ministry's policies, would leave Britain as well, and the thought of being far away from him for such extended periods of time made her heart clench.

"Then again, there's always Quidditch," she said, trying to lighten the mood once more, "especially now that I personally know the coach of the Kites."

"You met the coach of the Kites?"  Ellie looked up in surprise.  "How'd you manage that?"

"You'll never believe it, but she's Scorpius's godmother.  She offered to give me a tryout if I wanted one and she spent the entire week practically _begging_ him to try out, either for the Kites or another team, when he finishes school."

"So is he going to?"

Rose nodded.  "Most likely, I'd say.  From the sound of it, she's pretty much assuring him of at least a reserve Seeker position for the Kites, based upon what he's done at Hogwarts."

"That's promising," Ellie said, "and quite impressive that you met her personally."  She glanced toward the clock on her nightstand before jumping up.  "Blimey, we're late.  We're supposed to be there in half an hour."

"Damn!" Rose leapt up from the bed as well and began rummaging through her bag, retrieving a brush.  They were due to meet Scorpius and Al and several others for yet another party at James and Cameron's flat, which had quickly become _the_ place for them to gather.  "Yeah, but that's not all," she said as she ran it through her hair, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice even though it had been a week.  "I also met Donaghan Tremlett, the bass player for The Weird Sisters, who is a long-time friend of Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy."

"Seriously?" 

"Yep," Rose grinned.  "I know…bloody fucking brilliant, isn't it?  My parents were green with envy."

"Mine will be, too, when I tell them," Ellie confirmed, looking back over her shoulder as she flipped through her wardrobe.  "So, in addition to rubbing elbows with famous witches and wizards, how was it?  I want to hear all about the final and not only about the match, but about the campsite and Scorpius's parents and who else you met and…Tell. Me. Everything."

"Where do I begin?" Rose asked as she toyed with plaiting her hair then decided against it and dropped the brush on top of her open bag.  "The campsite was right across from the pitch and there were all kinds of parties and get-togethers throughout the week.  Our tent was next to the Dahlens – _she's_ the Kites' coach – and Rory's tent was just down the way.  And I met dozens of people, most of whose names I couldn't possibly remember.  Apparently, Scorpius's parents have been going to these matches since before he was born, along with the same groups of friends year after year –"

"And how were _they_?  Scorpius's parents," Ellie clarified unnecessarily, finally turning back around.  "Were they awful?"  She held out a sleeveless summer dress in a dark shade of violet to Rose.  "Try this, won't you?  I've always thought it would look nice on you."

"No, they weren't awful at all," Rose replied, taking the dress from Ellie and laying it out on the bed.  "I think I've already told you that Mrs. Malfoy liked me well enough, from before, but it took Mr. Malfoy a few days before he really paid me much mind at all.  He did come around after a couple of days, though, and I had a really lovely time, but we didn't spend a great deal of time with his parents anyway.  It was mostly me, Scorpius, and Rory."  She giggled unconsciously as she stepped out of her trainers and lifted her shirt over her head.  "Oh, but you should have seen the look on Mr. Malfoy's face when Scorpius and I came to breakfast before the final, decked out in our Cannons attire.  He actually asked if a persimmon exploded on us."

"You're joking, right?  You convinced _Scorpius_ to wear Cannons colors?"

'Sure did."

Ellie giggled along with her.  "I'll bet that _was_ a sight."  She closed the door to the wardrobe, a bright red dress hanging over her arm.  "I'm not sure if your mum told you that we all listened to the match at Al's –"

"She did," Rose confirmed, pulling off her shorts and tossing them onto Ellie's bed alongside her shirt.

"–and it sounded positively brilliant, but being there…what was it like, really?"

Rose flashed her a beaming smile.  "It was…words can't even describe how brilliant it was!  Both Scorpius and Rory said it was the best match they'd ever seen.  And the way Jones kept Stoeking in line the entire time and then when she took the Snitch…"  She slipped the dress over her head and turned to look in the mirror as she smoothed it down.  "I will _never_ be able to fly like that.  She truly _is_ the best Seeker in the League.  Unquestionably."

"I can imagine.  Your Auntie Ginny wondered several times if Solomon Jamisen wasn't going to have a coronary and keel over as he was calling it."  She glanced around at Rose and smiled.  "Ooh, I was right.  That's perfect."

Rose chewed on her fingernail and turned, looking at her reflection from the side.  Ellie was a bit shorter than she was, and the dress hit her mid-thigh, much higher than Rose normally wore.  "Are you sure?  It's not too short?"

"Yes, I'm sure, and no, it's not too short," Ellie insisted, as she fiddled with the thin straps on her dress.  "Well?" she prompted, almost nervously.

Rose smiled brightly.  "Al won't know what hit him." 

Ellie blushed.  "Excellent," she said softly, looking into the mirror dreamily as she began brushing her hair.  "So tell me the truth about Rolf Edwards.  Is he really 'sex on a broomstick' as they say?"

"Well…he certainlywas lovely to look at and he rode his broomstick _quite well_."  Rose paused and waggled her eyebrows.  "It isn't any wonder that he has women tossing their knickers at him on a regular basis.  Not that _I_ was paying all that much attention to him."

"No, never you," Ellie teased, catching Rose's glance in her reflection.

"I had a much better _someone_ to pay attention to, thank you very much," Rose retorted in mock indignation, well aware that her silly grin entirely gave her away.

"Yes, and how'd that go?" Ellie asked, smirking.  "Did you manage to, you know, get Scorpius alone and shag him wildly like you'd planned?"

"Hmm hmm."  Rose nodded as she turned back to the mirror and applied a shiny gloss to her lips, a blush creeping up her cheeks.  

"'Hmm hmm'?" Ellie repeated.  "Is that all you have to say?"

_No, that isn't it_ , Rose thought longingly.  She puckered her lips and pretended to study them intently as she worked over in her mind precisely what she wanted to disclose and whether Ellie really needed to know that Scorpius talked in his sleep or that he had eight freckles between his shoulder blades, a birthmark on his bicep, and two small scars – one on his collarbone and the other on his upper chest – that he'd received playing Quidditch.

"God, Ellie, it was," Rose said finally, taking a deep breath and turning back to face her as she continued softly, "I know it's a cliché, but it was … _other-worldly._ Scorpius's parents were rarely around and didn't try to keep us apart at all, so we didn't even have to sneak around to spend time together."

" _Together_ together?"  Ellie's eyes widened in what looked like a mixture of surprise and envy when Rose nodded.  "Oh my.  _Really_?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and honestly, you have _no idea_ how lovely it was not being watched over the entire time.  I didn't want it to end and I certainly wasn't ready to come home."  

Rose hoped that she didn't sound bittersweet.  It had been a week since she'd struggled to keep her tears at bay as they'd packed up and said their goodbyes to the Zabinis and the Dahlens before Apparating home themselves, and while her emotions were no longer raw, she couldn't deny that she still felt a bit of letdown, and honestly, she was ready for the summer to end and for school to start again.

"Merlin, that sounds lovely," Ellie broke through Rose's reverie with a loud sigh.  "What I wouldn't give to spend a week alone with Al."

"And you'll hardly have any time alone with him next weekend, will you?" Rose giggled.  "Not with Lily and Auntie Ginny there to keep the two of you apart."

"You're coming, too, aren't you?"

"Coming where?" Rose looked at her quizzically. 

"To Al's," Ellie answered.  "Next weekend?"

"No," Rose said slowly and Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Good lord.  So Al hasn't spoken to you about it yet?  He was going to ask you to stay over as well."

Rose shook her head.  "No, he hasn't said anything, but I haven't even seen him at all since I got back.  Mum said he Floo-called when he got home yesterday but I'd already gone to the shop, and when I tried to reach him back this morning, he was out with Uncle Harry.  Hell, I haven't even heard from the bloody git this past week aside from one ruddy postcard saying he was hot and sunburned and exhausted but having a marvelous time."  

She hoped it wasn't evident in her tone, but she couldn't help feeling a bit sad at how differently their summer was playing out from previous ones.  In the past, she and Al had spent almost all their time together, but with her job and his travels and her boyfriend and his girlfriend…her time with Al had been very much limited, and she truly missed him.  She hadn't even seen or talked to him in person since the party at James's flat that she and Scorpius had joined after having dinner with her parents a couple of days before they left for the Quidditch finals, with him having left the day before she'd returned from West Yorkshire for an intensive, eight-day program offered by Gringotts for curse-breaker candidates and just returning the day before. 

"He'll probably mention it tonight, then," Ellie continued.  "He was going to see if you wanted to stay at his house after the wedding, seeing as I'll be there."

"I would, except Mum and Dad agreed that Scorpius could stay with us for the weekend, so –"

"Your parents agreed?"  The disbelief on Ellie's face was almost laughable.  "I have to tell you, I'm stunned that your dad is letting him come."

"I know.  But believe me, I've been briefed _ad nauseam_ about exactly what is and isn't allowed to happen while he's there."  Rose rolled her eyes and snorted.  "As if Scorpius would ever do anything at my house anyway.  I fully expected Dad to go completely mental over the whole thing, but Scorpius, too?  He's already informed me that he won't get anywhere near enough to touch me, much less snog or anything else."

"So perhaps the two of you _could_ stay at Al's house," Ellie suggested, and Rose pondered the thought.  It would be preferable to spend the night after Eryn's wedding at Grimmauld Place rather than going home.  It was much closer, being set in London, not to mention that Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny, while not as lax as Scorpius's parents, were not nearly as uptight and controlling as her own parents – primarily her dad – and wouldn't subject them to constant scrutiny the entire time.

"Perhaps," Rose replied.  "I'll see if Al mentions it, and if he does, I'll ask about Scorpius, too."  She grinned excitedly.  "Blimey, I can't wait to see him.  It's been much too long.  I'm not even sure Al and I have ever gone this long without talking since we've been capable of talking."

Ellie leaned across her vanity and applied blush to her cheeks, turning her head and studying her reflection.  "Since you haven't spoken to him, I don't suppose you were aware, then, that we sort of broke up for a day?" she asked off-handedly and Rose jerked around.

"You what?" Rose exclaimed, her eyes wide.  "Hang on.  You're not serious, are you?  What did he do –"

"No, it was me," Ellie interrupted, shaking her head.  "It was all my fault; so stupid, really."  Rose's quizzical look was all the reply she gave, and Ellie rolled her eyes at herself as she continued, "Alright, so you remember that night we were all at James and Cameron's flat, just before you left?"

"Of course," Rose nodded, remembering the evening with fondness in part as the night her dad and Scorpius actually bonded over Quidditch and in part due to the smashing time they'd had with their friends afterwards.  "And if I recall, you and Al were both rather pissed."

"Very," Ellie agreed.  "And Al insisted on Floo'ing me home, to make sure I didn't miss my stop –"

"Always the gentleman," Rose interjected.

"– and it was a good thing, too, because we almost overshot my house," Ellie continued.  "Anyway, it was really late and everyone was already asleep, but since I was wide awake, I insisted that he stay and sober up a bit…" 

Rose cleared her throat and smirked, and Ellie rolled her eyes.  "…and well…one thing led to another, and before I knew it, we were this close," she held up her fingers about two centimeters apart, "to making love on the sitting room sofa.  But then he stopped and said he would not have sex with me when I was drunk."

"That makes sense," Rose reasoned and Ellie nodded.

"You would _think_ that I'd be appreciative that my boyfriend loves me enough not to want us to shag for the first time while drunk, but I wasn't.  All I could think of was how disappointed I was.  I mean, I'd finally decided I was ready, after all those _months_ of waiting," Ellie said emphatically, and Rose nodded.  Ellie and Al had started dating the previous October, on Rose's birthday to be precise, and although she clearly fancied Al something awful, she had been very tentative at first.  Of course, Rose understood the reason why – she'd been quite serious about Benjamin Whitney, a seventh year whom she'd dated much of the previous school year and had been terribly hurt when he ditched her the week before school ended, calling her a frigid prude, and not only following through on his threat to find someone who would sleep with him when she wouldn't, but very openly flaunting it in her face in front of the whole school.

"So I was sitting there, half-pissed, half-dressed and embarrassed, and said that maybe we _should_ go ahead when we were drunk, so that if I was completely pathetic at it, he wouldn't remember."

"Oh, Ellie!  You didn't!" Rose exclaimed, and Ellie sighed.

"Yeah, I know, I shouldn’t have said it.  I didn't _really_ mean it; I was embarrassed and sort of put out because he'd pretty much turned me down, and it just sort of slipped out.  Anyway, Al took it badly and left in a huff –"

"I'll bet," Rose interrupted, feeling very defensive for Al, and unconsciously, she crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her eyebrows.  Not that she was taking sides, especially since Ellie had already said they'd worked things out, but…this concerned _Al_ , after all, and her heart went out to him.

"– and then I didn't hear from him at all until he owled me the next night to let me know he was still coming over on Friday to keep me company sitting with Ethan while Mum and Dad took Evie and Eddie to visit with the Conrads but that he'd be late.  And when he first got here, he didn't say anything about what had happened, so I really hoped he'd either forgot or didn't remember."

Rose quirked an eyebrow.  "But he didn't, did he?"

Ellie sat down on the edge of her bed and looked up at Rose, shaking her head sadly.  "I'd made us dinner, but he was really quiet the whole time, and I could tell he was still upset with me, so after I put Ethan down, we talked about it, and he told me that I'd really hurt his feelings because he really _wanted to_ but he was trying to be fair about it all; that he really cared for me and wanted it to be something memorable when we finally made love and not something we did simply because we were pissed an randy."  She sniffled.  "He was right, of course; it was terribly unfair and I felt awful from the moment I'd even said it, and before it was over, I ended up in tears."  

Rose sat down on the bed next to her, nodding.  Even though sex was the one subject that she and Al _never_ discussed, she knew that he didn't play around.  Sure, he'd dated several girls before Ellie, but he was particularly choosy and didn't let people in easily, and Rose knew that Ellie was the first girl he'd ever truly been serious about and she would have been stunned to discover that he had slept with any of his prior girlfriends.  "He's right, you know.  It really should be special."

Ellie glanced at Rose, a blush rising over her cheeks, and Rose's eyes widened, already knowing what her best friend was about to say before she actually replied, quietly, "It was."

Rose didn't say anything; instead, she reached over and squeezed Ellie's hand.

"So do you want to know?" Ellie asked.  "I know it's sort of awkward, with him being your cousin and –"

"As long as you don't give me details," Rose replied, cringing inwardly at the thought of hearing anything too intimate, although she could certainly recognize and appreciate how dishy he was.  "I'm not particularly keen on hearing anything specific about Al's bits or anything –"

"I wouldn't give you details about his bits even if he wasn't your cousin," Ellie countered and Rose snickered.

"Excellent.  Alright, spill it, then."

"So, after he said that, about it being memorable, he kissed me, and…well, I just couldn't stop myself.  He was so sincere, and he was kissing me so well, and no one was coming home for hours, and…"  Ellie sighed dreamily and shrugged.  "I remembered what you'd said about it, and how emotional it was for you, and I was so glad you'd told me that, because it was for me, too, especially because it was _Al_ , you know, and he'd never either, and it was just…" her voice drifted off and she bit her lip.  

"It was special," Rose finished, nudging Ellie's shoulder with her own, and Ellie nodded.

"And it just felt right."  She took a deep breath.  "He's never mentioned the future before, but he did that night, after, and…now, after sharing that, and with him taking me to your cousin's wedding, and…I can't stop thinking about what it would be like."

"What _what_ would be like?" Rose asked softly.

"What the future would be like, you know…with him."  Ellie looked at Rose seriously. "Rose?  Do you ever think about it?  What it would be like with Scorpius?"

Rose nodded, her eyes locked on Ellie's.  "All the time," she said quietly.  Having spent an entire week with Scorpius had only confirmed the fact that she wanted to spend her future with him.

Ellie put her arm around Rose's shoulder and they leaned their heads together, sitting silently for a moment.

"You won't say anything to Al, though, will you?" Ellie said finally, standing up and slipping on a pair of sandals.  "About us and all."

Rose snorted.  "I assure you that I will _never_ say anything to Al about it.  We don't talk about that stuff, remember?  We simply pretend that it doesn't happen and move along."

"I mean, he has to know that _I'll_ tell you, but –"  She was interrupted by the arrival of a large tawny owl Rose knew she'd seen before but couldn't remember who it belonged to.  Ellie took the letter while Rose stroked its head, turning when she heard Ellie huff.

"What?"

"It seems we're late," Ellie answered, handing the paper to Rose.  She immediately recognized Al's messy scrawl, informing them that he and Scorpius were waiting and to get their arses to James's flat.

"Bossy git.  We ought to keep them waiting 'simply because' after this," Rose said as she crumpled the paper and started to toss it in the bin, only to be stopped by Ellie, who was holding out her hand.

"No, give it here."  

Rose handed it over, and Ellie smoothed the paper on her desk and reached for her quill.  She quickly jotted down a reply and gave it to the owl, a smirk answering Rose's questioning look.

"What did you do?"

She grabbed her bag and linked her arm through Rose's.  "I simply told them to keep their pants on; that we'd make it worth their while."

Less than ten minutes later, Rose was wound tightly around Scorpius, having practically dragged him to the loo almost immediately upon arriving at James's flat, and whispering in his ear the very same words and a few of the ways she might follow through.

 


	28. Chapter 28

** Chapter 28 **

_So stand your ground, mates...And don’t shed a tear for Dumbledore and yesteryear...His plan was stronger than his death...And we have nothing to fear!_

Rose stepped through the Floo into her parents' sitting room and was greeted by the sound of the wireless blaring and the sight of Hugo lying across the sofa, wand in hand, Rose's sixth year Charms book lying open over his chest, and a smattering of small, yellow canaries circling the room.  She was followed almost immediately by Scorpius, who practically knocked her over as he came through, and they stood, unnoticed, at the hearth and dusted off while watching Hugo, who was singing along loudly and a bit off-key. 

As the song was ending, Rose flicked her wand at the wireless and turned it off.  Hugo sat up, startled, and looked over to them, the book tumbling loudly to the floor.  "Um...hey."

“Blimey, Hugo!  I didn't know you could do that!”  

"'s nothing really," he said with a grin before making the birds disappear with a wave of his wand and a quick " _Evanesco_."

Rose stared at her brother in disbelief.  She had always been terribly impressed with his spell work, but this was easily on par with most of the students in her class, and she could tell by the look on his face that Scorpius was greatly impressed as well.  "Are you barking?  It is, too, something." 

"I'll say," Scorpius agreed.  "There are people in our year who still can't manage a proper conjuring charm –"

"And you're doing it as an upcoming fifth year," Rose interjected.  "He's _always_ been gifted at Charms," she boasted, turning to Scorpius.  She was genuinely proud of her little brother and, if she was being completely honest, a bit envious.  While she was quite adept at performing charms once she learned them, they had never come naturally for her, unlike Hugo, who had yet to meet a charm he couldn't master.  "Honestly, Hugo, that's highly advanced magic and you know it." 

"Yeah," he shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but Rose noticed that a blush was creeping up his neck and that he looked very much pleased at their praise.  "I had to find _something_ to occupy my time this summer, and since I've already learned all the ones from my year and Fred's, I moved on to yours."  He leaned down, picked up Rose's sixth year Charms book that he'd dropped to the floor, and placed it onto the side table as he stood then stretched and yawned, and she was struck, not for the first time, by how similar to their dad Hugo looked.  "I don't know about you, but I'm knackered."

" _You're_ knackered?" she chortled sarcastically.  "Try spending _the longest_ bleeding day, listening to parents argue with their children over whether or not they need a fifth Pygmy Puff and, if so, why it simply _has_ to be pink, or straightening up after a lot of ten year old gits who decided to ransack the Muggle magic tricks just for fun, or listening to several thirteen or fourteen year old girls try and decide on which love potion or daydream charm they want to try out."  In fact, the only bright spot of her afternoon so far had been snogging Scorpius in the stockroom before Floo'ing home – although she didn't feel the need to share that particular event with her brother – and knowing that her parents weren't due home for at least another hour, and she planned to pick up where they'd left off.

"I'm not sure how you've managed it all summer," Hugo mumbled, making his way to the door.  "I know Mum's insisting that we work _somewhere_ , but I've already told Dad and Uncle George there's no bloody way I'm working at the store, ever.  I'd rather shovel dragon dung for Uncle Charlie."  He paused at the doorframe and turned back to face her.  "And just so you know, Mum owled earlier and said they'd be home no later than five."

"No later than five?"  Rose glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already a quarter after four. 

"Yep.  She's bringing home take away and wants us to set up the table in the garden so we can eat outside."

"Yeah, all right," Rose sighed, trying not to sound disappointed, but she had left work early on purpose, with grand plans to spend the afternoon snogging Scorpius before her parents came home _at six_.  But with them coming home sooner, she and Scorpius would barely have more than a few minutes alone together since her dad made Scorpius so nervous that he'd already promised not to touch her if her dad could even possibly walk in on them.  "We'll be out in a minute."

"I won't hold my breath," Hugo chuckled.  "Oh damn, I nearly forgot.  Something came for you.  It's there, on Mum's desk."

Rose's gaze shifted and immediately focused on the beige envelope lying on the corner.  "Damn it, Hugo.  Thanks for telling me," she muttered irritably, tossing a glare at the now empty doorway as she crossed the room and picked up the envelope.  She stared, unmoving, at the Ministry's seal until Scorpius was standing directly behind her, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.  

"Aren't you going to open it?"

Rose nodded but made no move to do so.  The information contained in that envelope, which, she noted dejectedly, was awfully thin, would most likely determine her future career – or at least influence it – and as anxious as she was to have answers, she really wanted _positive_ answers, and there was a fifty/fifty chance that it contained a rejection.  "What if it's bad news?" she whispered.

"It won't be," he assured her.  "Go on."

She took a deep breath and slid it open slowly, her fingers shaking slightly as she unfolded the letter, consisting of only a few lines.  Her eyes automatically glanced down to the signature block – and her Uncle Percy's name – then back up to the top of the letter, everything following the words "It is my pleasure to extend to you an interview with the Department of Mysteries" blurring.

"Oh my god," she mumbled.  She bit her lip and took a deep breath, overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions ranging from exhilaration to relief to fear to doubt.  She was thrilled, of course, at being chosen, especially in light of the number of very qualified applicants who hadn't been, and she was relieved to finally _know something_ after the months of agonizing, but she was also quite terrified at the prospect of having to interview, and she wondered whether she really had what it took to become an Unspeakable.  

"I told you," Scorpius murmured in her ear, tightening his arms around her.  "Congratulations."

Rose turned around and laced her arms around his neck.  "I just – I'm...I wonder if I should pinch myself."  She was practically bouncing in his arms, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck and ran her lips lightly over his skin before pulling back to look at him, wearing what she knew had to be a silly grin.  "Thank you," she practically gushed.  His assistance with her application had been invaluable and his support had meant everything to her.  "I really couldn't have done it all without you, you know."

"I know."  He chortled lightly, a half-hearted smirk on his lips, but he wasn't quite meeting her gaze, and she still sensed something less than excitement in his voice, something more akin to envy or disappointment.  

"But...?" she asked.  Her smile faded and she felt a flush rising up her cheeks.  She could understand that he might feel a bit put out – it was, after all, completely unfair that he hadn't been given the opportunity she had in her hand based simply on his family's name rather than his own achievements – but her feelings were hurt nonetheless that he wasn't more enthusiastic about it for her. 

"But nothing," he insisted, finally meeting her eye and brushing the hair back from her forehead.  "I'm really pleased for you, Rose.  No one deserves this more than you."

"But you're disappointed, too, aren't you?  Because it wasn't you; I can tell you're upset..." her voice trailed off as she took a deep breath and looked away from him, focusing on the fireplace at the other end of the room.  She certainly didn't want to row with him, but she couldn't help thinking that he should be happier for her.  After all, his godmother had assured him that he'd be given a tryout with the Kites or that she'd help him get a tryout with any of the British and Irish League teams, so he had no reason to be upset.  And if the roles had been reversed, if it had been _him_ getting that letter, _she_ would have been ecstatic.  She couldn't believe he was ruining this for her.  

"No."  Although he answered right away, Rose was sure she heard a bit of hesitation in his voice, but before she could say anything more, Scorpius's fingers gripped her chin and he turned her face, forcing her to look at him.  "I'm not upset or disappointed, I swear.  But I won't lie to you and pretend that a part of me isn't, well, _envious_."

She thought about retorting but Scorpius cut her off as she opened her mouth.  "And before you take it the wrong way, let me explain.  I know how badly you wanted this, and believe me, I wanted it for you.  I wouldn't have helped you with your application or convinced you to submit it if I didn't want you to get it.  And it isn't even that I _want_ to join the Department of Mysteries any longer.  It's only that...all right, so you know how you don't want any concessions because you're Ron and Hermione Weasley's daughter?  How you want to earn things on your own?"

"Of course," she replied quietly, and he nodded before continuing.

"Don't you see it's the same for me?  I never got the chance to prove myself.  Hell, it wouldn't have mattered, no matter what I'd done – there was _nothing_ I could've done to make them consider me – and it just...I'm tired of being constantly reminded that _my_ options are limited."  His eyebrows furrowed.  Watching Scorpius's face, she could see the emotions warring within him.  "But I don't begrudge you yours.  Really, I don't."  He let out a deep breath, and he took a deep breath before leaning in and brushing his lips against hers.  "Look, I'm sorry, Rose.  I don't want to do this, not now.  You earned this, and I'm proud of you."

"I know you are.  Scorpius, _I know_ ," Rose insisted, wrapping her arms around his neck once more before leaning in and kissing him softly.  She didn't question his sincerity for even a moment and her hurt feelings abated.  "It really is unfair that things are the way they are.  If I could change them –"

He shook his head adamantly as his fingertips touched her lips.  "Don't.   _Just don't_ , all right?"

"All right," she said softly before closing the distance between them and pressing her body and mouth against his, wanting to erase the remnants of hurt and disappointment lingering between them, only to have him pull back when she tried to deepen their kiss, wearing a concerned look on his face as he reached up and removed her hands from around his neck.

"Wait...your parents...they're due home, aren't they?  I mean it, Rose...I refuse to be caught snogging you in this room ever again."

Her eyes flitted to the clock then back to Scorpius.  "Don't worry, we still have a few minutes," she murmured before sucking his lower lip between hers, grateful when he didn't stop her but instead, reached up and gently held her face in his hands as he parted his lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth.  She pulled him forward by the belt loops as she stepped backward until she felt the sofa behind her.  Knowing full well that their time was seriously limited, Rose took full advantage and wedged herself between Scorpius and the arm of the sofa, kissing him as if her life depended on it, and judging by the way he ground his body against hers and his hands ran over her and his mouth ravaged hers, he was doing the same.

She reluctantly moved out of his arms four minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, when she heard the clock on the mantle chime a quarter of.

"I guess we should –" she straightened her blouse and gestured in the general direction of the back garden, "I suppose we should give Hugo a hand before Mum and Dad get home."  She started towards the door, stopping when she realized he wasn't following her.

"What's wrong?"

"Yeah," Scorpius cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair, "I, uh…I'll be right out."

Rose nodded and bit her lip as she turned and walked through the kitchen and out to the back garden where Hugo sat against a willow tree, his eyes trained on another small group of birds flying overhead.  As she took a seat on the ground next to her brother, she glanced over and noticed, with a smile that the table was fully set, as requested by her mum.

"Thanks for doing that," she said, motioning towards the table.  "We were going to help you, though."

"Oh, and it was _so difficult_ , too.  Seriously, it was nothing; only took me about two seconds," Hugo shrugged, looking over at her.  "What happened to Scorpius?"

"He's in the loo."

Hugo snickered.  Without looking his way, Rose offered her brother the gesture their mum would have chided her for as being ‘crude.’  Her eyes remained on his birds until he nudged her with his elbow.  "So?  What's the word?"

"On what?" 

" _On the letter from the Ministry_ ," he replied, rolling his eyes.  "What'd it say?"

"Oh!"  An excited smile spread over her face.  "I got the interview."

"Hey, that's fantastic!" he exclaimed and threw an arm around her, unwittingly causing his birds to disburse.  "Bloody hell," he muttered before dispensing with them and turning back to her.  "So I suppose Uncle Percy is no longer an insensitive prig for having kept you waiting so long?"

Rose giggled.  "I suppose not."

"Wait'll you tell Mum; you'll make her whole week with this news."

"I suppose it will.  It's certainly made mine."

"Well, I knew they'd take you all along," Hugo said smugly.  "Just like they'll take me when I apply for the Aurors in a few years."

"Hugo, your humility is simply fetching –"

"Says the girl who makes sure everyone knows about her eleven Outstandings."

"Perhaps, but _I_ don't pretend to be so modest.  You, on the other hand..."

"Am much sexier when I'm modest."

Rose snickered.  "Don't be an arse."

"An arse?  Me?  You're mental."

"Hardly," she retorted, looking up when the door opened and Scorpius appeared.

"Over here!" she called then turned back to her brother.  "So _Avis_ is the only one you've learned so far?" Rose asked, eager to change the subject now that Scorpius had joined them.

Hugo nodded.  "Yeah, but I only started this morning –" he replied, sounding slightly defensive.

"You learned it on your own in one day?" Scorpius said, clearly stunned, as he sat down on Rose's other side.

Hugo nodded, and Rose giggled.  "And don't get your knickers in a twist.  No one's being critical; far from it, in fact.  But you know…since you seem to have mastered this one, d'you want us to show you something else?"

Hugo's eyes lit up and he beamed as he looked from Rose to Scorpius and back to her.  "Really?  That'd be aces."

"And I know the perfect spell to teach you," Rose grinned and turned to Scorpius, winking as she mouthed the incantation she had in mind before turning back to her brother.  "I'm sure you can handle this one.  All right, watch my wand movements carefully," she directed, swishing her wand and allowing Hugo to follow her movements before standing up and facing him.  "Now repeat after me:  _Aguamenti!_ ," she laughed as a stream of water left the tip of her wand and soaked Hugo from head to toe.

"What the fuck –" Hugo's arms crossed in front of his face as he attempted to shield himself.

"C'mon, Hugo!  Where's your sense of humor?" Rose teased as she turned her wand on Scorpius.

"Don't even think about it," he warned, raising his own wand, and she laughed again.

"What?" she asked innocently.  "It's a warm day; don't you want a shower, too?"

"Not particularly," he answered, his wand still raised in dueling position.

Rose was tempted to soak him anyway, but as she stood there, contemplating it, she was startled by Hugo's " _Aguamenti_ " and a blast of water hitting her in the face.

"Damn it, Hugo!" she sputtered, wiping her eyes and fixing her brother and her boyfriend, who had joined in his raucous laughter, with a fierce glare.

"Where's your sense of humor?" Hugo ribbed.

"Touché," she countered.  "Truce?"

"Yeah, okay," he agreed and the two of them lowered their wands in unison.  Scorpius, Rose noticed, still wielded his, although once hers and Hugo's were resting by their sides, he followed suit and slipped his into his pocket.

"Wait till you show Mum; _you'll make her whole week_ ," Rose threw back at him sardonically before performing a nonverbal drying charm over herself.

"I suppose I will," Hugo chuckled in agreement.  "Seriously, Rose, what'd you expect when you taught it to me?  That I wouldn't use it?"

"Well, you weren't supposed to use it _on me_ ," she retorted.  "Besides, I only just showed it to you.  How'd you pick it up so quickly?"

"What can I say?  I'm a quick study," Hugo quipped.  He grinned knowingly as he dusted his knuckles over his shirt.  "…and I _might_ have tried out the wand movements for it this morning."

"Of course you did," she sighed in resignation.  She should have known better than to believe that it took him all day to master one spell.  "Git," she giggled.  "Now hold still," she directed as she performed a drying spell over him as well, finishing just as their parents walked out of the house and into the garden.

"Who's hungry?" Dad called.  "I come bearing Mum's favorite take away."

"It's about damn time," Hugo muttered under his breath before grinning at their dad and waving as he crossed the garden.  "Excellent!"

Beside her, Rose felt Scorpius's arm stiffen, and she reached over and squeezed his hand tightly.  "C'mon," she whispered, tugging him slightly towards the table where the others were unpacking cartons of food.  "It'll be fine."

An hour and several empty containers of spring rolls, seafood crispy noodle, and roast duck later, she was pleased to have been right.  Seeing as they'd focused on all the 'safe' subjects – Hugo's two newly mastered spells, Quidditch, returning to school, preparing for their upcoming O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, her cousin Eryn's wedding the following day – and aside from the awkwardness she'd felt when she told her parents about the owl from Uncle Percy and they'd gone on too long about it and the fact that Scorpius had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire time, dinner had actually gone better than she'd expected it to.

She reached over and picked up two fortune cookies from the pile Hugo had conveniently dumped in front of himself, handing one to Scorpius, who looked at her questioningly.

"How is it again that you've never had Chinese take away?" she giggled softly.  "Break it open and you'll find a message inside that's supposed to be your fortune."

She demonstrated, popping half of the cookie into her mouth as she uncurled the fortune inside, a smile gracing her lips at the words on the slip:  _Love because it is the only true adventure_. 

Ignoring her parents and brother, who were sharing their own fortunes and, thankfully, not paying them any mind, Rose leaned in and nudged Scorpius's shoulder.  "What does yours say?"  Rather than answering, he handed the fortune to her, and she was pleased to see her favorite smirk on his face.

" _Soon life will become more interesting_ , " she read softly, then look up and met his gaze.  "Sounds intriguing."

"Always intriguing when it comes to you."

A host of emotions passed between them, and she knew that he was thinking the same things she was when his thigh brushed against hers, that things were as they should be between them.

“So, Scorpius," her dad said, interrupting their unspoken conversation, "Rosie tells me you’re quite the chess player.”  He leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head, his tone of voice and the look on his face easily recognizable.  While decent players in their own right, neither she nor Hugo was much of a match for their dad, who really was quite a master at wizard's chess, and Mum had never had the patience – or the ability, in all honesty – to play him, so it had been some time since he’d had any sort of serious challenger.

“I can hold my own,” Scorpius grinned.

“He’s being modest,” Rose interjected, nudging his arm.  “He’s never lost to anyone else in school and he beats me badly every time we play.”

“Is that so?”  Her dad's eyes lit up as he looked at Scorpius challengingly.  “Think you’re up for a quick match?”

“Absolutely, Mr. Weasley.”  

"Excellent," her dad replied, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he stood and walked indoors.  Scorpius glanced at Rose; she nodded and squeezed his hand, and he stood and followed her dad inside.

"I've gotta see this," Hugo remarked, grabbing a handful of fortune cookies and following their dad and Scorpius inside.

"That'll be interesting," Rose said offhandedly as she stood and began tidying up the table.

Mum looked at her curiously.  "How's so?" 

"Because Scorpius really is quite good.  Dad's used to winning fairly easily, but he won't this time.  Their 'quick game' could take a while."

"Ah.  So we have a few moments then?"

"Hmm hmm." 

"Good because I'd like to speak to you without an audience."  Something in her voice was slightly _off_ , and Rose looked around to see her mother nodding that she should sit back down.  She did so, slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. 

"Is everything all right, Mum?"

"Actually, that was the question I had for you."

"Yeah, everything's fine.  Why do you ask?"

"I noticed that there was some tension between you and Scorpius.  Are the two of you having a row?"

"No.  Like I said, everything is fine."

"Are you sure?" her mum prodded, doubt evident in her tone.

"Yes, I'm sure," Rose insisted almost tetchily, nodding her head exaggeratedly, but all the while, her mind was racing and she could feel her mum's eyes boring into her.  _Bloody hell, how the fuck did she know?_ she thought in frustration, irritated that nothing seemed to miss her mother's scrutiny.

"So he isn't upset about anything?  He seemed quiet throughout dinner, particularly when we were discussing the owl you received from Percy this afternoon."

Rose looked at her mother disbelievingly.  "I'm not sure what you're suggesting, but…you can't possibly thing he he's anything but happy for me."

"There is no reason for you to be defensive, Rose.  I am not suggesting that Scorpius isn't happy for you.  I'm simply asking if there was something going on which might have influenced you negatively or caused you to have misgivings."

"Who says I'm having misgivings?" Rose demanded.  She sat back in her chair, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at her mum.  "Did I _say_ I was having misgivings?  Because I'm _not_."

Her mother fixed her with a stern gaze.  "I think it's a valid question when your reaction to finally hearing a positive answer from Percy was less enthusiastic than I had anticipated, especially when you've informed us daily how unfair it was that you'd been kept waiting the entire summer to hear something."

"Forgive me for not wanting to rub his nose in it," Rose answered defensively.

"Rose –" 

She could hear the warning in her mother's voice but continued anyway.  "Okay, yes.  Is that what you wanted to hear?  _Yes_ , Scorpius is disappointed that that he wasn't given the same opportunities as me.  But that doesn't mean he isn't happy for me.  And you're wrong if you think I'm not enthusiastic about the chance to be an Unspeakable because I am.  But to be perfectly honest, I'd be even more enthusiastic if Scorpius had been given this same chance, like he deserves.  And you've explained the reasons, and I know you and Dad agree with them, but I don't.  It's unfair."  Rose shook her head angrily.  "I'm sorry, Mum, but I don't understand.  And I will _never_ understand, nor will I ever believe it's _necessary_ to pre-judge and deprive someone of chances when they had _nothing_ to do with anything.  You of all people should realize the dangers in that, Mum.  Scorpius wasn't even bloody born then and he _is not_ his father or his grandfather –"

"I am well aware that he is neither Draco nor Lucius."  Her mum took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and Rose knew that she was choosing her words carefully and attempting to maintain her own composure.  "Rose, your dad and I have been very frank with you – too much so, to be honest – and we've done our best to help you see the difficulties facing the Minister and those of us who lived through that time.  But you've never experienced anything remotely akin to that, thankfully, and you can't fully understand why the policies are necessary, although I assure you, they are."

"Fine."  Rose let out a frustrated breath as she pushed back from the table and stood up.  "Are we finished?  Because I'd like to go inside and make sure Dad isn't going all 'Auror-esque' on my boyfriend."

The corners of her mum's mouth curved into a slight smile.  "Sweetheart, your dad is not going 'Auror-esque' on Scorpius," she replied as she stood and waved her wand at the table and muttered, " _Evanesco_ ," dispensing with the rubbish while she came around the table to put an arm around Rose's shoulder.  Rose was still cross but she could tell her mother was trying to make amends.  "You have to know how very proud of you we are, Rose."

"I know."

"And I know you think that we disapprove of your relationship with Scorpius, but that isn't the case.  He has been nothing but polite and friendly, and it's clear that he cares deeply for you, and whether you believe it or not, that's what your dad and I care about most."

Rose nodded in response, not quite trusting her voice, as she felt most of the hostility between them melt away.  

"Come on."  Her mum nudged her toward the doorway.  "Why don't we go and see if you were right about their 'quick game' or not."

~*~*~*~*~

"Knight to F6."

Rose's dad chuckled.  "Interesting choice."  He studied the chessboard and grinned.  "Bishop to F5."

Rose heard the pawn fretting over being forcibly removed by her dad's bishop in unison with Scorpius's groan, and she looked up just in time to see his pawn being smashed by her dad's bishop.

"Nice move, sir."

As Rose had predicted, the two of them had still been at it, just as they were four and a half hours and two games later.  Scorpius had surprised Rose’s dad by nearly beating him in the first, and since there were few things Ron Weasley loved more than a challenge, their ‘quick match’ had turned into a best-of-three when Scorpius won the second game.  

Not that Rose minded.  Quite the contrary, in fact.  After the past few hours, which had been less than stellar in her opinion, she was fairly certain that watching her dad bond with her boyfriend as they sparred congenially over wizard chess was one of the best things ever, a million times better than she had hoped for when her parents had agreed that Scorpius could stay for the weekend.  So she was perfectly content to sit, curled up in her dad's favourite chair, long after her mum and Hugo had gone upstairs to bed, flipping through _Witch Weekly_ without reading a single word since she was still brooding somewhat over the conversation with her mother, all the while listening to the good-humoured ribbing between her dad and Scorpius over who was the better chess player and whether the Cannons could win the championship two years in a row. 

She hoped that her mother hadn't been able to read how upset their discussion had left her.  She _hated_ arguing with either of her parents – hated it almost as much as she hated arguing with Scorpius – and arguing with them about Scorpius was top of her list.  But no matter how much she tried not to dwell on it, her mother's insinuations continued playing through her mind, and Rose found herself irritated once more at all of them – her mum and Uncle Harry and Minister Shacklebolt and all the other powers-that-be in the Ministry.  In her mind, it was unconscionable to make people pay for their parents' and families' pasts, just as it was to reward them for the same.  She certainly didn't like the thought now running through her mind that she'd been offered an interview simply because she was the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley; if she ever believed that to be the case, she knew she wouldn't accept it.  And the same went for Scorpius – he didn't want people to automatically assume that he was just like his dad or, even worse, anything at all like his grandfather.  He wanted to be judged on his own merits and his own accomplishments, and he'd worked very hard to position himself accordingly by scoring highly in his O.W.L.s and his classes, not to mention that he was almost certain to receive word that he'd been named Head Boy sometime within the next two weeks.

Although she didn't feel the least bit guilty for wanting so badly to be an Unspeakable.  Rose wanted to change things, and she wasn't as naive as her parents seemed to think she was.  She understood precisely how things worked and she was well aware that unless she was in the right position, she would be powerless to make a difference in the ways she wanted to.  But becoming an Unspeakable put her on the inside and being on the inside would open her up to the type of opportunities she needed and provide her with the amount of influence required.  Granted, it wasn't her only motivation for wanting the job – she was truly fascinated by the secrecy of the work the Unspeakables performed and suspected it would always be exciting and challenging – but changing things from within _had_ been a factor when she was making the decision whether or not to even apply, and since she knew absolutely that she would _never_ work for either of her parents or any of her relatives, the Department of Mysteries was the only department in the Ministry that she could stomach.

Rose set the magazine in her lap, laid her head back against the headrest, and gazed over at Scorpius, who was studying the chessboard intently, and her dad, who was watching Scorpius closely, feeling a surge of emotions for both of them as she allowed her eyes to close – just for a moment – positively chuffed she was at how well they were getting along, and as she drifted off to sleep to the sounds of her dad closing in on his win, Rose smiled, thinking that if she hadn’t been afraid she might jinx it, she would have said that her dad and Scorpius were practically chummy and hoping that someday, it would be true.

 

  


 


	29. Chapter 29

** Chapter 29 **

 

"And I'm sure you will all agree that Eryn looks stunning.  Colin, on the other hand, simply looks stunned."

 

From her spot at one of the forefront tables, Rose rolled her eyes and looked over at Ellie, only halfway listening to the toast being offered by Colin's best man, a bloke Karla had introduced to Rose earlier in the day as Heratio Kingston.  He was definitely handsome but not particularly gifted at public speaking – and from Karla's account, wasn't altogether very bright – and so far, his speech had included a couple of lame jokes and several tasteless and out-of-place innuendos.  

 

"Blimey," Ellie whispered, leaning in conspiratorially, "this might go down as the worst best man's speech in modern history."

 

Rose nodded as she finished her glass of wine, smiling when it refilled itself.  Uncle George had spared no expense for his eldest daughter's wedding, from the venue to the decorations to the menu, and most importantly, as she'd heard him say more than once over the course of the summer, the bar.  Everyone's glasses were continually refilled, and Rose was definitely starting to feel the effects of the two glasses of wine she had already consumed.  "Pity, too.  I'm sure my Uncle George is thinking of how much better his speech was than this git's."  

 

She glanced first down the head table to where Uncle George was sitting next to Auntie Katie and doing a poor job of hiding his grimace behind his hand, then looked over each shoulder and around the tent.  Although her cousin hadn't wanted a big wedding, even Eryn hadn't been able to deny that her mum and now mother-in-law had certainly outdone themselves.  The tent had been set up near the Hogsmeade train station, in the open field area directly across the lake from Hogwarts, and with the sun setting behind it, the castle had made a spectacular-looking backdrop.  And the inside of the tent looked equally beautiful, done up in ivory and greenery, and now that it was dark outside, there were fairy lights everywhere.  It was elegant enough to suit both Auntie Katie and Lavender's tastes and yet simple enough to suit Eryn's, and well over two hundred guests were present, many of whom Rose knew or recognized from school and working with her parents at the Ministry, although there were also a great many people who she had never seen before.

 

"You know, for someone who really only wanted to elope, Eryn certainly has ended up being the centre of attention at the social event of the season.  Anyone who's anyone at either the Ministry or Hogwarts is here, and my cousin, Alexander, told me that most of Uncle George's associates from the shop's foreign sites came also."

 

"So that explains the number of strangers speaking in strange accents," Ellie giggled reflexively behind her hand.

 

Rose giggled as well and leaned in closer to reply, but they both returned their attention to the best man once more when hearty laughter broke out around them at something else he had said, and Rose sat up straight, thinking that she ought to at least _pretend_ to be paying attention.  “But seeing as I was repeatedly threatened before this shindig to keep it brief,” Heratio flashed a grin to Eryn and Colin at his right, “ _and_ as I understand it’s time for the dancing to commence, I'll close with this…”  He lifted his glass in Eryn and Colin’s direction.  “To Colin and Eryn.  May you have a long and laughter-filled marriage.”

 

Rose joined the rest of the guests and followed Heratio’s lead, raising their glasses in the air amid a stream of loud "Hear Hears."  But their sentiments soon turned to full-out cheers and applause when Eryn set her glass on the tabletop, grabbed Colin by the collar of his dress robes, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips which he returned enthusiastically, dipping her backwards in a dramatic fashion before leading her out to the dance floor.

 

"So even though his speech was awful, the best man was right," Ellie sighed almost longingly as she sipped her drink.  "Eryn does look stunning.  They all do – the blue is really lovely."

 

"I know," Rose agreed as she watched Eryn and Colin twirl around in their first post-wedding dance.  Eryn had gone with a simple, floor-length ivory dress, and she had chosen periwinkle for Karla and Lora's dresses to compliment the simple black dress robes worn by the men.  "And believe me, the blue is so much better than the hot pink Eryn originally said she wanted, although she admitted during her hen party that she really hadn't been serious about that particular choice, considering how terribly it clashed with Lora’s colouring and that she had really only threatened to use it in order to get a rise out of Auntie Katie and Lavender, who she said were making her mental with 'all their wedding nonsense.'"

 

Another giggle escaped Ellie's lips.  "You never did tell me…how was the hen party?"

 

"Relatively tame compared to most, I expect," Rose giggled.  "I know the men in my family have a reputation to uphold, but not so much with the women."

 

Rose's thoughts shifted briefly to the get-together she and her cousins had hosted for Eryn three nights before at The Three Broomsticks and how, once their mums had gone, the Firewhisky had flowed and Eryn had pretty much voiced every single frustration that she'd felt throughout the whole wedding process and how Lora had managed to change the subject by reaching into her handbag and pulling out a festively wrapped box, which she had slid across the table to her sister, all the while wearing a mischievous grin, advising that “…we have one more gift for you.”

 

Rose had glanced at Therese across the table and smiled knowingly; she, Therese, and Lora had been delegated the task of purchasing a less than _appropriate_ gift for Eryn’s hen party from her female cousins, and the three of them had spent a good deal of time at the Hogsmeade location of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes one afternoon, perusing the WonderWitch products and taking special care to pick precisely the right items.

 

Eryn had carefully unwrapped the package and held up two small, square boxes, one turquoise and one magenta, in her hand, trying not to laugh aloud.  

 

"What are those?" Karla had asked, narrowing her eyes and looking more closely at the magenta box that Eryn was holding out to her.

 

"They're the latest versions of Dad's 'adult only' daydream charms," Lora had answered.  

 

"'Adult only'?" Therese asked, her eyes widening slightly.

 

"That one is a duel charm, for use by both partners," Rose had explained, motioning to the turquoise box, a slight blush rising over her cheeks.  “And that one,” she continued, pointing to the magenta box, "isn't a duel charm, but it works along with an actual memory and allows you to relive it, in a sense, only in a much more _interesting_ way than how it really happened.  It's quite brilliant.”  
  


Karla had arched an eyebrow and stared at her knowingly.  "Is it now?" she had teased, causing everyone to laugh and Rose to shrug, her blush deepening.

 

"Well, I can personally attest to the brilliance of the modulation charm.  And as for the duality charm… _I_ haven't tried it, but we can't seem to keep them on the shelves.  And everyone who tries them always comes back for more."

 

Lora's eyes had widened and she'd grinned.  "Is that so?  Anyone we know?"

 

Rose had waggled her eyebrows and smirked.  "Let's just say that I've learned a little too much about some of our family and friends since working for Uncle George."  Not only had she discovered that a couple of her aunts and friends of her parents were repeat purchasers of that particular charm, but she also knew for a fact that her mum kept one stashed in her bedside table, having unwittingly found it when she was looking for the latest Fabionce book Mum had finished. 

 

"So all those stories about hen parties being raucous affairs…" Ellie asked, interrupting Rose's recollection.

 

"Entirely unfounded, at least while I was there."

 

"Well, we'll have to make amends when it's time for ours then," Ellie chuckled quietly, and Rose giggled even as she shushed her, nodding her head slightly in Scorpius's direction and hoping that he hadn't been listening in.  If she was being completely honest, with all the wedding talk and planning and preparations, she'd had plenty of daydreams about marrying him, but she wasn't quite ready for _him_ to know that she was entertaining such thoughts.

 

Their laughter and conversation was cut short by Al, who had at some point got up and was standing behind Ellie, his hand on her arm.  "Helene Merriweather is here," he said, his face somewhat flushed.  "Come with me to meet her, won't you?"

 

Ellie nodded, stood, and started smoothing her dress as Rose looked around to where Al was motioning and saw Uncle Bill talking with an obviously older, severe-looking witch.  

 

"Who's she?" Rose asked, looking up at Al.

 

"The head of the curse-breaker education division for Gringotts and, if I've played it well, my future superior."  He slipped his hand around Ellie's.  "Come on."

 

Rose sat back in her seat, watching Al escort Ellie over to introduce her to the woman who would be in charge of his training, then leaned towards Scorpius, sighing contentedly and taking another sip of her drink as she turned her attention back to Eryn and Colin.  "Ellie's right; she really is lovely, isn’t she?" 

 

"Not nearly as lovely as you," Scorpius muttered in her ear, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair.  

 

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and nudged his thigh with hers.  "You must be pissed." 

 

"I am _hardly_ pissed after only two glasses, even if it _is_ Ogden's Finest," he scoffed.  "I'm simply stating a fact."

 

Rose's lips curved into a smile and she felt a blush rising over her cheeks.  "Fine, you're mental then," she giggled, grazing her fingers over his knee.  She paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm really happy you're here.”

 

"My pleasure."  His hand moved underneath her hair and he stroked the back of her neck.  

 

Even though he hadn't admitted it in so many words, Rose knew that Scorpius had been nervous about finally meeting her grandparents and the rest of her aunts and uncles.  She had tried to lessen his apprehension by reminding him that he already knew all of her cousins and that he wouldn't be the only boyfriend or girlfriend there, since Ellie was going with Al, and Diana was going with James.  She had also reminded him that her parents certainly seemed to be coming around where their relationship was concerned and everyone else would be slightly distracted by the wedding.  But in reality, if she had been completely honest with herself, Rose would have admitted that she, too, had been a little uneasy about the whole thing herself.  

 

She wasn't terrible concerned that they would make him feel unwelcome; she knew that none of her family would _ever_ be openly rude to him.  She also knew that if they gave him a chance and actually spent some time getting to know him, as her cousins and parents had done, they would see how well he fit in with the rest of them and would really like him.  But Rose had still been unnerved by having to make introductions and she couldn't forget that most of them had been quite vocal about their dislike for Scorpius's dad and especially for his grandfather for years, and although Al and Karla had assured her more than once that the grownups would let bygones be bygones as far as his family was concerned, she couldn't help but wonder if it was even possible for them to fully disassociate him from the rest of his family.

 

In the end, though, her worries had been mostly for naught.  There were so many people there, and although Rose had sensed some tension from one or two snooty-looking, older wizards and witches she had noticed eyeing Scorpius warily as they whispered behind their hands, she was sure that he hadn't picked up on it.  As expected, her grandparents had been extremely gracious and had seemed truly pleased to finally meet him, and when she took him around before the wedding ceremony to meet those in her family he had yet to, she could see that he was clearly feeling more comfortable than he had when they had first arrived.  

 

Rose nestled back against Scorpius's side and, feeling the combined effects of the lulling music and the wine, gazed fondly around the tent at the people who meant the most to her.  They were all there – every single Weasley and Potter – and even though she couldn't deny that there had been times she had wished they were far less nosy, most of the time, and especially times like these, she was reminded how lucky she was to have them all.  

 

"Don't tell me that wine has got to you," Scorpius whispered in her ear, kissing her on the tip of her nose when she turned and smiled at him over her shoulder.

 

"No," she insisted, giggling when he eyed her knowingly and finally acquiescing, "well, _not entirely_ anyway.  I suppose I'm kind of tired.  You know I didn't sleep all that well, what with you in the next room and all –"

 

"And that's my fault, is it?" 

 

"Yes," she said with a playful pout, recalling how lovely it had been to be awakened by Scorpius kneeling in front of her dad's chair and nibbling lightly at her lips, whispering for her to wake up.  At first, it hadn't really registered where they were or even that she was awake, only that Scorpius was _there_ , and Rose had wound her arms around his neck, pulled him down over her, and kissed him passionately.  But once she had realized that she wasn't dreaming, that they were actually in her family's sitting room, she tore her mouth away from his and glanced around almost nervously, asking, "Scorpius, where's my dad?"  

 

Rose had been more than a little shocked when Scorpius nodded over his shoulder in the direction of the door, his eyes not leaving hers, and replied that her dad had gone upstairs to bed.  "Really?" she had asked incredulously, surprised that her dad would have left her alone with Scorpius at any time, much less in the middle of the night, but when Scorpius nodded and a great number of possibilities had sprung to her mind, she had reached up and tugged him forward by the collar of his shirt.

 

Scorpius had complied willingly, his mouth meeting hers hungrily, and they had kissed until they were both breathless, each of them growing bolder with their caresses the longer their snogging continued which had been more than fine with her – she'd thought his declaration not to snog her in her parents' house was unreasonable and entirely unworkable anyway – and his acquiescence was exactly what she'd had in mind.  She certainly hadn't been about to stop him when his arms tightened around her and she'd been encouraged when he hadn't stopped her from slipping her hands under his t-shirt and running them up and down his chest.  But when her hands moved down to the waistband of his trousers, he'd jerked away and sat back on his knees, breathing heavily as he stared at her, muttering, "Rose…we can't," his reluctance to stop all too evident.

 

She had stared at him in disappointment for a moment before letting out a deep breath and agreed grudgingly, sitting up and glancing around the room as she ran her fingers through her hair, remarking that her dad must really like Scorpius as a way to distract herself from the urge to push him to the floor and have her way with him, his reluctance be damned.

 

Scorpius had cleared his throat nervously, wearing an endearing look of hopefulness on his face as he asked, "D'you really think so?" and Rose's heart had leapt when she'd gazed up at him because she understood how badly he wanted her parents to like him.  She had felt the same way about his parents and had been relieved when _his_ dad finally seemed to accept her.  As for her parents, it certainly seemed as if he was winning them over, based upon what her mum had said about them not disapproving and the fact that Scorpius had spent the entire night playing chess with her dad, who had then gone off to bed, leaving the two of them all alone, a sentiment she had relayed to him, asking Scorpius if he thought her dad would have left it to him to make sure she got to bed otherwise.  He had admitted, "No, I suppose not," chuckling when she attempted but failed to stifle a yawn.  He'd got to his feet, taking her by the hand and hauling her to her feet as he playfully offered to escort her to her room, bringing a tired smile to her face when he'd put his arm around her shoulders.  She had leaned against him as they'd silently climbed the stairs, stopping at her doorway, and she had admitted in a whisper, "I wish you could come inside with me; I'll be thinking of you all night."

 

"Good to know," Scorpius had mumbled, his lips curling into a slight smile as he leaned in and kissed her forehead then gently kissed her lips, murmuring, "Me, too," against them before moving out of her arms and retiring into the bedroom next to hers.  Rose had watched his door close then slipped into her own room, her mind racing with 'what ifs' that she never would have acted upon as she changed into the button-down Slytherin shirt he had given her months ago – what if she ignored the fact that her parents were right down the corridor and snuck into the guest room anyway and what if she seduced Scorpius, no matter what silly oath he'd sworn to himself about not touching her.  And as she'd watched the sunrise from her window seat that morning, before going down to breakfast and taking pleasure in his admission that he'd thought of her the entire night, she told herself for probably the millionth time since summer break began two months before that September was only a couple of weeks away, although in her mind, it wouldn't arrive soon enough.  

 

Rose's pout shifted into a grin and she turned in her chair to face him fully.  "I told you this morning that it was terribly distracting, knowing that you were asleep in that next room, less than four meters from me, and yet completely inaccessible, and don't tell me you weren't distracted as well.  I almost would have preferred you to be four kilometres away." 

 

"However hard it was for you, I promise you, it was more so for me."

 

"Is that so?  Well, it serves you right since it was your bloody idea not to touch me –"

 

"– because _your parents_ were in the room across the hall," Scorpius finished, and Rose shrugged slightly, smiling provocatively.

 

"Be that as it may, we _are_ spending the night at Al's house tonight..."

 

"Where your entire family will be watching us –"

 

"– where there are plenty of rooms and loads of privacy," Rose finished as she ran her fingertip along the side of his thigh.  She was well aware that much of the family was going straight from the reception to Grimmauld Place and that Scorpius was holding firm that he wasn't taking any chances, but that didn't stop her from planning to do everything in her power to get him alone and make him change his mind by snogging him, at the very least, for several hours into the night.

 

Scorpius groaned and tightened his arm around her, pulling her close enough to whisper in her ear, "You're trying to torture me, aren't you?"

 

"What if I am?" she replied.  "Is it working?"

 

"What do you think?"  Scorpius's eyes drifted fleetingly to his lap then back up to hers, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing when he smirked and waggled his eyebrows.

 

"I think the answer is 'yes.'"

 

"You _know_ the answer is 'yes.'"  His eyes locked on hers for a moment before he stood and extended his hand out to her.  "Dance with me, won't you?"

 

"I’d love to."  Rose slipped her hand into his and followed him onto the dance floor, joining a great many others, including her parents and grandparents and most of her aunts and uncles.  She easily fell into his arms as they swayed to the slow melody being played the by orchestra, and although she wasn’t surprised that Scorpius knew how to dance, she hadn't expected him to be quite so accomplished.

 

"So where did you learn to dance like this anyway?"

 

"Mother, of course.  She insisted at an early age that I know how to dance properly."

 

"Well, your mother is quite brilliant."

 

"I'll be sure to tell her you approve," Scorpius responded, a satisfied look on his face.  He tightened his hold on her waist and spun her around slowly.

 

Rose's eyes skimmed over the crowd and the many others who were dancing as well before she once again caught sight of Eryn and Colin, the two of them laughing as he twirled her around; tendrils of her hair had come loose and she was brushing them out of her eyes and trying to tuck them back in with one hand.

 

"I'm really pleased she decided to wear Auntie Muriel's tiara," Rose said, noticing how it reflected the candlelight illuminating the room.  "She wasn’t sure she was going to at first, but she knew how much it meant to Gran.”

 

Eryn had made no secret about her lack of enthusiasm over the big wedding Lavender and Auntie Katie had insisted upon, and even as recently as her hen party was still threatening to go with their original plan and slip off to Paris and elope.  But in the end, as with the bridesmaids' dresses, she had finally relented, giving in to her new father-in-law’s cheesy yet accurate logic that wedding planning was rather like a Devil’s Snare, and if she didn’t fight it, it would be far less painful in the end.  Besides, as she had explained, she couldn’t very well carry the handkerchief that had belonged to Colin’s great-grandmother as her ‘something blue’ and not follow in the family tradition which had started with Auntie Fleur all those years before and worn Auntie Muriel’s tiara.

 

"Why was it so important to your grandmother?" Scorpius asked, the look on his face giving away his confusion.

 

"It belonged to her Aunt Muriel, and it's a tradition that every bride in the family wears it, going back to when Auntie Fleur married Uncle Bill."  Scorpius followed Rose's gaze when she glanced quickly across the room to where the two of them were sitting, Auntie Fleur holding Victoire's son, John. “My mum wore it when she married my dad, and all of my aunts when they married my uncles, and Victoire when she married Teddy, and now Eryn and Colin."

 

"That's a lovely tradition," Scorpius said sincerely.

 

"It is, isn't it?"  Rose smiled nostalgically.  "Growing up, when we would play pretend about who we were going to marry, we would nag Gran about playing with it, and every so often, she'd let us try it on.  It was brilliant."

 

“Oh yeah?” He raised his eyebrow questioningly, a sliver of a smile on his lips.  "And who were you going to marry?" 

 

"For the longest time, it was going to be Al, because he was the only one of my cousins who didn't tease and torture me," she giggled, "but then I got older and realized that there were other boys in the world who weren't named Potter or Weasley, so I changed my mind, and by the time I was eight, it was usually a toss-up between Cyrille Vogts and Lee Jordan."

 

"Cyrille Vogts and Lee Jordan?" he asked, very clearly biting back his laughter.  "You're joking."

 

"What?  Every little girl dreams of marrying someone famous, and we all did, too.  And those two were both quite handsome, weren't they?" she demanded, attempting to look put out.  "And I wasn’t the only one of us to think so.  Cyrille Vogts was the Cannons’ most popular player for years, and Therese and I often rowed about which one of us would end up with him.  And Lee was always so friendly and he knew the most exciting people and we _knew_ him personally, never mind that he was married to Alicia."

 

"I met him, you know," Scorpius said off-handedly.  "Cyrille Vogts, I mean."  Rose's eyes widened and he shrugged.  "It pays to be godson to one of the coaches.  Sonja knows everyone who's anyone in Quidditch."

 

She certainly couldn't argue with that statement; she'd seen firsthand over the week they'd attended the Quidditch championships that Scorpius's godmother knew a great many people, both within the Quidditch world and without.

 

"So?" she prompted.  "What was he like?"

 

"Tall," Scorpius laughed.

 

"Tall?  _That's_ what you remember about meeting him?"

 

"Oh come on.  I was probably seven or eight.  But yeah, really, what I remember most about him was that he was tall.  Well, that and he was very much attached to a burly bloke called Thomas."

 

"Well then," she smiled smugly.  "All those times I let Therese convince me that she was better suited for him because she was a whole nineteen months older than me, it wouldn't have mattered anyway."

 

"You _let_ her convince you?"

 

Rose sighed.  "What can I say?  I gave in to her flawed logic too easily."  

 

"Why do I find it difficult to imagine you giving up too easily on anything?” he teased.

 

"I'm not sure why I was so easily swayed by my older cousins when I was a child, but it ended as soon as I got to Hogwarts.  I’ve since learned that it’s better to fight for what I want, and I no longer give up easily at anything."

 

Scorpius chuckled.  “ _There's_ the Rose I know and love." 

 

Rose rolled her eyes and muttered light-heartedly, "You're such a flatterer, aren't you?"

 

"You think I'm joking?"  He shook his head.  "If I had to choose one thing about you that first attracted me, it's your tenacity in going after what you want.  I love that you never give up."  

 

She felt her cheeks burning as she leaned in and kissed his cheek, allowing her lips to linger against his face.  "Thank you," she whispered. 

 

"I'm serious," he murmured in her ear as he gripped her waist tightly.  "Of course, I won't deny the influence that your breasts had upon me by third year –"

 

"Oh you," Rose giggled, pinching him playfully as she pulled back and fixed him with what was supposed to be an annoyed look, although she knew she'd failed miserably.

 

"At least I'm honest."  Scorpius grinned mischievously.  "Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't spend most of third and fourth year staring at them?"

 

"Well, I _would have_ before you told me otherwise," she replied, knowing that she was wearing a full blush this time.

 

"You clearly overestimate the attention span of thirteen and fourteen year old blokes," Scorpius laughed as he spun them around once more.  “So tell me, do you still dream of marrying someone famous?”

 

"Not particularly.  Famous people no longer attract my attention."

 

"Really?  And what of Quidditch players?"

 

"Not particularly," Rose laughed.  "It's been quite some time since I've fancied any of them either."

 

"So should I owl Sonja and tell her that I'm not interested after all?  Seeing as you're no longer attracted to famous Quidditch players –"

 

"Oh, I don’t know.  I expect I could learn to live with it after all…" she replied, trying to keep her tone light and playful, although she meant every single word. 

 

"That's good to know," Scorpius's arm tightened around her waist, "although I am willing to rethink my future career choices if necessary."

 

"It isn't necessary."  Rose's breath caught and her heart was pounding; in spite of his teasing tone, his eyes evidenced the seriousness of his statement, and Rose was unable to stop smiling.  

 

"Do you think anyone would notice if we snuck away?" he whispered, his breath hot against her ear, and a shiver ran up her spine.  She’d seen it in his eyes, but as closely as he was holding her, she could also feel that he was randy, and that alone was enough to entice her.

 

“Don’t tempt me.”  She pressed her lips against his check, allowing them to linger.  She was fighting the urge to snog him there on the dance floor, and being surrounded by all those people, many of whom she was related to, was the only reason she hadn’t already done so.

 

“And what if I'm _trying_ to tempt you?”  

 

His fingers dug slightly into her back, and Rose inhaled deeply as their eyes met.  For a moment, it seemed as if everything around them was standing still – that it was simply the two of them – and when she felt his lips graze hers ever so lightly, knowing that he'd done so where everyone could see them, she was aroused all the more.

 

"I'd say you've succeeded," she murmured before moving out of his embrace.  "Let's give it a go," Rose replied before slipping her hand inside his and leading him off the dance floor.  Their attempts to slip out of the tent, however, were delayed first by James and Cameron, who Rose could see were well on their way to becoming entirely pissed as they pulled Scorpius over to one of the tables, insisting he try some drink they'd concocted, and next by Lily, who excitedly pulled Rose aside and for at least fifteen minutes detailed the dances she’d been sharing with Cameron and Colin’s cousin, Hawthorn Brown, and declared emphatically that she was finally done pining over Cameron once and for all, finishing just as the object of her desire appeared and shyly asked her to rejoin him for another slow dance.

 

Rose grinned as Lily introduced her to Hawthorn before hooking her arm through his and returning with him to the dance floor.  She scanned the area for Scorpius, finally locating him near the far corner of the tent, talking with her Auntie Ginny and her Uncle Charlie.  Rose watched them curiously as she weaved her way over, passing Uncle Charlie who winked as he left Scorpius with Auntie Ginny, who had just waved at someone across the room and also looked to be excusing herself.

 

"…absolutely, Mrs. Potter, and I would really like to discuss it with you in more detail," Scorpius was saying and Rose beamed when he slipped his arm around her shoulder without pause.  

 

Auntie Ginny smiled at Rose and then directly at Scorpius.  "We'll speak about it once we're back at Grimmauld Place," she replied earnestly then made her way over to the group of several people Rose didn't know.  Rose watched her for a moment before turning back to Scorpius, a quizzical look on her face.  

 

"What was that about?"

 

"I think I've convinced both your aunt and your uncle that it's high time they started attending the Quidditch finals in person, especially your aunt, since she's the senior Quidditch correspondent for _The Prophet_."  He looked around the tent and Rose followed his lead, noting primarily that her parents were on the other side of the tent, engaged in an animated conversation with Headmistress Vector and a man Rose recognised from her mum's department at the Ministry.  "Come on," he directed as he dropped his arm from around her shoulder to take her by the hand, and they slipped out of the tent. 

 

"I doubt either of them needed much convincing," Rose giggled as they made their way through the darkness, with only a sliver of moon reflecting off of the black water.  "Uncle Charlie has been before, once or twice, and Auntie Ginny's said as much to Mum and Dad, wanting all of us to go together," Rose agreed.

 

"All but you, don't you mean?" Scorpius quipped, his fingers stroking hers between them.  "Since you'll be attending with me again next year."

 

"But you haven't asked me for next year, have you?" she countered.  "I have to accept an invitation wherever I can get one."

 

"You've got an open invitation," he replied quietly, stroking her fingers between his.  "For as many years as you want."  They stopped amid a group of trees near the edge of the lake, and Scorpius leaned back against one of them.  He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her forward.  It was dark enough that she couldn't quite make out the castle across the way, and she could barely see him standing in front of her, but she felt his hands cupping her face and his breath as his lips neared hers and she melted into his arms until they were interrupted by the bride and groom sneaking out of the tent for a pre-honeymoon snog.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"Another brilliant shindig courtesy of the Weasleys, wouldn't you say?" Al asked with a grin as he entered the drawing room, with Ellie on his heels.  Rose scooted over so that Al dropped to the sofa next to her and Ellie took a seat on his lap, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

 

"Yeah, it was," Rose agreed as she unsuccessfully stifled a yawn.  Almost two hours before, following the reception, several of the Weasleys had congregated at Grimmauld Place, and many of them were still down in the kitchen, toasting and carrying on like they were teenagers rather than adults.  For her part, however, Rose was feeling fairly exhausted, with it being well after midnight, and she was more than ready for everyone to leave, especially her parents.  "And I wonder if Mum and Dad are ever planning to leave."

 

Al chuckled and nudged her with his elbow.  "Maybe they've decided to stay the night in order to keep an eye on you and Scorpius."

 

"You're such a riot, Al."  Rose rolled her eyes as she looked from him to the door and back again.  "Speaking of Scorpius, where is he?  I thought he was with the two of you."

 

"He was," Ellie chimed in, her eyes still closed.  "But he got sidetracked by Al's mum."

 

"And he was still talking with her and Dad when we came up here."

 

Rose looked back to Al in surprise and she remembered Scorpius talking with Auntie Ginny earlier in the evening at the wedding reception.  "Really?  What were they talking about?"

 

"Quidditch, I think," Al answered.  "I heard him say something about his godmother when we were leaving…she's a coach for one of the European teams, isn't she?"

 

"Yeah, for the Kites," Rose mumbled as she stood and started for the doorway. 

 

"You're going down there, yeah?"

 

"And then to bed, I think."  She turned back in time to see Al lean his head against the back of the sofa.  "I'm knackered."

 

"Yeah, me, too.  G'night," he mumbled, lifting his arm and offering her a half-hearted wave before curling it back around Ellie, who hadn't budged.

 

"Good night," Rose said quietly, smiling at the picture of contentment that Al and Ellie presented.  She made her way down the staircase, toward the basement, and had just turned the corner of the hallway leading to the kitchen when she ran smack into Scorpius.

 

"Hi," she began, startled, only to be cut off by him.

 

"Rose," he said in a low voice, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close.  "You're so beautiful."

 

She giggled.  "You really _are_ pissed now, aren't you?"

 

"To the contrary," he said seriously, "I've never been more sober or sure of anything."  

 

She studied him quizzically for a second, torn between wanting to ask him what he'd been talking to her Auntie Ginny about this time and wanting to snog him, irrespective that she could hear not only her parents' voices, but also those of Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry, Auntie Fleur and Uncle Bill, and Auntie Angelina and Uncle Percy.

 

Scorpius made the decisions for her when he backed up against the wall, murmuring, "Merlin, I want to finish what we started out by the lake..." as he brought her with him, and Rose pressed her body against his, running her hands over his chest and kissing him for a moment before pulling away.

 

"Not here," she said softly.  She took him by the hand and dragged him back up the narrow stone stairwell and into the coat cupboard off the entry hall.

 

"I love you," she murmured against his mouth, gripping his collar in her fists and sucking his bottom lip between hers.  Scorpius groaned and his hands moved into her hair, holding her head steady as he deepened the kiss, practically plundering her mouth with his tongue. His arms folded around her and he spun her around until her back was against the wall, and she released his collar, sliding her arms around his neck and threading her fingers into his hair.

 

"I can't tell you what I want to do…how badly I want you right now…" 

 

She wordlessly urged him to _do_ whatever he wanted and secretly wished that they were somewhere – anywhere – else, where there was no possibility of being caught.  Because even if the prospect of shagging him was appealing, no matter that it was in a coat cupboard, Rose knew full well that neither of them would actually go through with it, especially with her parents and other members of her family roughly a hundred meters and one floor away.  Besides, even if she had the nerve to do it, Rose knew Scorpius well enough to know that he would never entertain such a thought; her Uncle Harry – all of her uncles, for that matter – intimidated Scorpius nearly as much as Rose's dad did and getting caught by any of them was not an option.

 

"Not only you," Rose whispered before her lips met his for another deep, searing kiss.  She slipped her hand between them and began slowly stroking his erection, tremendously pleased when he groaned again into her mouth and thrust his hips against hers as he cupped her breasts in his hands and teased her nipples with his thumbs.

  

"You have no idea what you do to me, Rose…" Scorpius growled as he tore his mouth from hers and began sucking on her pulse point.  A gasp escaped her lips, and she tilted her head backwards, his declaration reverberating through her mind as the friction increased and she stroked him faster while Scorpius placed open-mouthed kisses up her neck.  They might not be able to shag, but she wanted the next best thing, and she was determined to make him come. 

 

"What do I do to you, Scorpius?" she asked breathlessly.  She expected him to come back with something sexual, considering the positions they were in and where their hands were, but she was taken aback when he stopped suddenly and fixed her with a blazing look.  "You make me want _everything,_ " he rasped then kissed her hard as he thrust against her and shuddered, finishing his sentence with a moan against her lips.

 

Rose returned his kiss feverishly, her heart racing and that single word, _everything_ replaying again and again in her head, echoing precisely what she wanted from him as well.

 

 


	30. Chapter 30

** Chapter 30 **

 

"No, Hermione, I think your points are excellent and can't imagine Kingsley won't as well –"

 

"Which we've both told you at least a hundred times already," Rose's dad interjected, a hint of playful sarcasm in his voice.

 

"Yes, Ron, I know," she heard her mum sigh.  "You know how relieved I am that you're fully behind me and willing to sign off on it, Harry, but –"

 

"But _nothing_ , Hermione," her dad continued in what Rose recognized as his 'don't even try and argue with me because you will lose' voice.  "The two of you can disagree all you want, but you both know that Kingsley rarely denies either of you anything you really want these days, and when it's the two of you together..." he chuckled, "well, I feel sorry for the man because he doesn't stand a chance."

 

Rose stifled a yawn behind her hand, hoping that she hadn't made any noise to alert them to her presence as she leaned against the wall behind the kitchen door, listening to her dad and Uncle Harry laughing and her mum letting out a long breath followed by a chuckle, all the while cursing Hugo for forcing her to eavesdrop on them the old-fashioned way. 

 

Really, she couldn't believe she was awake; it was entirely too early, considering it was her last week before returning to school and there wasn't anywhere she had to be until noon, when she was seeing Scorpius for lunch in Diagon Alley before going over to the shop to meet with Uncle George and Alexander.  But she'd been awakened by the sound of the Floo in the kitchen, followed by the sounds of voices and chairs scraping along the wooden floor, and had been unable to go back to sleep.  She'd lain in bed and listened to the muffled voices, trying to decipher who was who and within a few minutes, had pretty much determined that it was her Uncle Harry, although she couldn't imagine what the devil he was doing, Floo'ing over before eight o'clock on a Monday morning.  But she figured it had to be something important and her curiosity had been piqued, so without too much hesitation, she'd rolled over in bed and began rummaging through the drawers of her bedside table, digging underneath rolls of parchment and a couple of books, around old photographs and her hairbrush, and behind the stack of letters she'd received from Scorpius.  After several minutes of searching and several choice expletives at not being able to find the rolled-up ball of flesh-coloured string she'd been searching for, Rose sat on the edge of her bed and fumed, quite certain that Hugo had taken her Extendable Ears without asking and not returned them.

 

She'd momentarily considered trying an _Accio_ , but since she had no idea where he might've stashed them and she didn't want to take the chance that a set of Extendable Ears would fly across the kitchen and alert her parents not only that she was awake but of her intentions to listen in on their conversation as well, she quickly decided against it.  Instead, she pulled on a pair of shorts underneath her sleep shirt and silently crept down the stairs, positioning herself just outside the partially open kitchen door, and confirmed that it was, in fact, Uncle Harry who'd Floo'ed over.  She'd been on the verge of going inside and giving him a bit of hell for waking her up so early when the exchange going on between her parents and Uncle Harry had stopped her in her tracks.

 

"But if you'll recall," her mum continued, "I proposed something similar to this once before, and Kingsley's response was not what anyone could call 'enthusiastic', was it?  I don't want there to be any question in his mind that I'm serious...that we're serious, Harry.  He has to understand... _it's time_."

 

"Merlin, Hermione."  Her dad's tone had softened but was still passionate, and although she still had no idea what they were talking about, whatever it was, it was clearly something they all felt very strongly about.  "How could he possibly question your commitment and desire to push?  You've been pushing him and arguing about it since your very first day in MLE.  Your thoroughness is second only to your perseverance."  

 

"And it was how long ago when you raised it last?  At least five years, wasn't it?" Uncle Harry retorted.  "Besides, you've changed what you're asking him to do, and what you're proposing this time is better than before, and you know it."

 

"And you saw how receptive Percy was when you mentioned it to him the other night after the wedding –" her dad said and Rose heard her mum laugh.

 

"With the amount of wine he drank, I imagine Percy would have been receptive to most things Saturday evening."

 

"So there you have it," Rose's dad continued.  "All you have to do is get Kingsley pissed before you meet with him and he'll agree with anything you say."

 

The three of them laughed and Rose's mum cleared her throat.  "So we're in agreement that it's ready.  Can you think of anything you'd like to add, Harry?  Anything I've neglected?"

 

"Honestly, I can't," Uncle Harry replied, and Rose heard the rustling of parchment.  "I've been through it several times now, and you've covered everything, as usual.  You've addressed every point of concern he raised last time, your arguments are solid, and the reasoning is sound.  I'm telling you, it's put together as well as it's going to be.  As far as Kingsley goes, once you've got him on board, the other heads will fall in behind us and approve it...and Ron's right, Hermione, if anyone can convince him, it's you."

 

"I believe Ron said that if anyone can convince Kingsley, it's 'us', Harry, not 'me.'"  Rose could hear in her mum's tone that she'd received all the reassurances she'd needed.

 

"So he did," Uncle Harry conceded.  "Then _we_ will convince him if need be, but I don't think you'll need any help from me.  The thing is, we all know it's been a long time coming; Kingsley knows it, too, and I think he'll be more open to it now than he was before."

 

"Thanks, Harry."  Rose peered inside the partially ajar door, watching while her uncle pushed his chair back from the table and stood, only to be pulled into a tight hug by Rose's mum, the gratitude evident in her voice. 

 

"You're not leaving, are you?" her dad asked, turning from the stove where he was cooking what looked like eggs.

 

"You're certainly welcome to stay for breakfast, Harry," her mum finished as she waved her wand at the sizeable piece of parchment lying on the table, which rolled itself into a small scroll, flew across the room, and nestled itself safely into her briefcase.

 

Uncle Harry chuckled and shook his head.  "Thanks, but no.  Everyone was still in bed when I left, and Ginny'll have my arse if I don't get back and wake her.  I told you, didn't I, that she's scheduled an interview with Viktor Krum today?"

 

"She has, has she?  And how is _Vicky_ these days?" Rose's dad asked, winking at her mum, who rolled her eyes and shook her head then went over, mumbled, "Let me finish that," and nudged him out of the way.

 

Uncle Harry snickered.  "From what I understand, _Vicky's_ well.  Better than well."  The grin he'd been wearing fell from his face.  "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Ron, but...if Ginny's sources are correct, those trade rumours aren't as unfounded as we'd hoped and as Jones's reps would have us believe.  She's hoping to get confirmation one way or the other today."

 

_No_! Rose grimaced.  She didn't want to hear that there was truth to the rumours that the Cannons were entertaining thoughts of a trade for Elspeth Jones to join her parents with the Falcons.

  
"No!" Rose's dad groaned, echoing her sentiments exactly, and he fell into his chair, covering his face with his hands.  "Don't tell me that.  Without Jones, we're back to the bottom of the league."

 

"Probably," Uncle Harry shrugged, "although the Falcons have some talent, and depending on who she's traded for...and surely they wouldn't take a one-on-one trade for the likes of her."

 

Her dad snorted.  "You know the Cannons, Harry.  They'll find some way to fuck it up."

 

"Yeah, well, Ginny's not confirmed it yet, so don’t be too down just yet."  Uncle Harry stepped over to the Floo. 

 

"Ask Ginny to give our best to Viktor, won't you?"  Rose's mum replied dryly, although the amusement in her voice gave her away, and she smiled at him over her shoulder.

 

"Yes, send Viktor our love, won't you, Harry?" Rose dad mimicked playfully as he wrapped his arms around her mum from behind, leaned down, and kissed her cheek.

 

"You've got it," Uncle Harry laughed, nodding to her dad.  "See you both in a bit."

 

"Bye, Harry."

 

"See ya, Harry."

 

Rose pushed open the door and entered the kitchen as her uncle disappeared amid green flames.  She glanced over in time to see her mum turn, lace her arms around her dad's neck, and pull him down into a kiss.

 

She groaned loudly.  When she was younger, she and Hugo really _had_ thought it disgusting when they adopted their long-standing reaction to their parents' frequent displays of affection all those years before, but these days, she did it out of habit and, in all honesty, to be obnoxious.  Even though she would _never_ have admitted it to them, she thought it was pretty great that they were still so affectionate with each other after having been married for such a long time, and she couldn't help wanting the same for her own future.  "It's too early for _that_ ," she mumbled jokingly and turned to leave, stopping when her dad laughed.

 

"And what do we have here?  Surely our eyes are playing tricks on us."

 

Rose rolled her eyes exaggeratedly but couldn't stifle a small chuckle as she muttered, "G'morning."

 

"Good morning."  Her mum glanced up to the clock over the floo, which read a quarter past eight, then back to Rose.  "We certainly weren't expecting you to be up so early."

 

"I know.  It's barking, isn't it?  I'm not even due at the shop until later."

 

"Shocking in light of how late you got home last night," her dad remarked, amusement evident in his voice.  He took down a mug, filled it with coffee, and handed it to Rose, who took it gratefully.

 

"Yeah, well...it wasn't _that_ late," Rose muttered.  She sat down at the table and yawned, her thoughts shifting to the previous day, which had started out fairly grandly by waking up just before noon on a palate spread out on Al's floor, wedged up against a snoring Scorpius.  She'd awakened him by slipping her hands under his t-shirt and sucking on the back of his neck before having the pleasure of snogging him for quite some time, stopping only because Auntie Ginny had knocked on the door and told them all to come down for brunch.  The four of them – Al, Ellie, Scorpius, and Rose – had then spent most of the afternoon lounging around and soaking in the last weekend of their summer on the roof of Grimmauld Place before finally deciding to venture into London, taking in a film at the cinema and getting almost-but-not-entirely pissed at the Muggle bar around the corner from Al's before Rose had reluctantly Apparated home, arriving only moments before her parents had gone to bed.

 

Making little attempt to hide her smile at the memory, Rose met her mum's eye over the edge of her cup.  "Besides, what time I got home last night has nothing to do with the fact that I was rudely awakened by the sound of the Floo at the crack of dawn this morning.  You lot must be working on something really important for Uncle Harry to come over so early," she remarked nonchalantly as she looked in the direction of her mother's briefcase.  

 

"Everything we do for the Ministry is important," her mum answered and Rose nodded.  Of course, she hadn't actually expected either of her parents to tell her anything about what they were working on, especially what was obviously some secretive Ministry thing, not that she really cared all that much about it anyway outside of satisfying her own curiosity.  

 

"Yeah, I'm sure it is," she replied, attempting to sound casual; she hadn't missed the brief look that passed between her parents or mistaken the tone of her mother's voice that, although intended to be teasing, had very clearly indicated that it was not open for discussion, and rose knew it was best not to pursue it any further.  "Anyway, for some bloody reason I couldn't go back to sleep..."  As if to emphasize her point, she yawned.

 

"So what are your plans for the day?" her mum asked as she settled into her chair, and plates of eggs, sausages, and toast settled onto the table in front of each one of them.  "You said you're going in to work today?"

 

"Well, not really for work.  I mean, I don't have to go in today; actually, I don't have to go in all week if I don't want to, but I've been working on some things for Uncle George, and he wants me to run my notes by Alexander to see what he thinks."

 

Her dad grinned knowingly.  "I knew you'd like it, no matter how much you groused about losing your summer."

 

"Yeah, okay, so development and marketing aren't so bad," she admitted almost begrudgingly, "but being in the store and dealing with customers all day every day got old quickly.  I don't know how Alexander stands it."

 

Her dad laughed and winked as he took a bite of his breakfast, and her mum caught Rose's eye once more.

 

"And what time were you planning on making the trip to Diagon Alley?  Before you were 'so rudely awakened' by us, that is?"  Her mum grinned from behind her coffee mug.

 

Rose shrugged.  "Sometime this afternoon, I reckon."

 

"Good, so you'll have time to stop off at Madam Malkin's then."

 

"Um...I'm sorry, Mum.  I meant to go last week, but..." she grimaced.  Her mum had been reminding her for weeks to get fitted for new robes, but she'd been putting it off.

 

"Just see that you go today, alright?" her mum looked at her pointedly. 

 

"I promise I'll go this morning."

 

Her mum nodded.  "Anything else you were planning on doing?"

 

"Not really," Rose answered not entirely truthfully; she and Scorpius had planned on meeting up in Diagon Alley at some point, but they'd agreed that she would owl him with the details once she'd decided when she was going to the shop, so their plans weren't definite.  "Why?  Do you need me to do something else?"

 

"I have several things to do for work this morning, but I was thinking that the two of us could have lunch together if you didn't have plans...that is, if you wouldn't be too terribly embarrassed to be seen out with your mum."

 

Rose was surprised – and touched – to hear the questioning in her mum's voice and see the not-quite-nervous smile she was wearing, and she smiled brightly, knowing that Scorpius would understand if she cancelled their plans in order to eat lunch with her mum instead.  "Don't be silly, Mum.  I'd love that."

 

"Good," her mum replied, her smile easing into a more natural, extremely pleased one.  "Noon, then?"

 

"Oh yeah, that'll be great."  Rose looked at her mum in confusion when she Summon a stack of parchment and a quill.  "What are you doing?" 

 

"Owling Marie and telling her to clear my schedule for a couple of hours at lunch," her mum answered, scribbling on one sheet of parchment.  Rose flipped a piece of her egg with her fork, deciding that she really wasn't all that hungry, and watched her mum fold the paper and leave the room then looked back to her dad when he cleared his throat.

 

"I'm glad you agreed to go with your mum today, Rosie," he said, lowering his voice.  "It means a lot to her."

 

Rose looked at her dad in confusion.  "Of course I'm going with her.  I can't imagine why you'd think I wouldn't want to."

 

"Because you're seventeen and have better things to do," he replied with a forced chuckle.  "And we haven't seen a lot of you this summer –"

 

"When do you ever see much of me during the summer?" Rose laughed, sensing that there was a lot more seriousness behind her dad's statements than he wanted her to know and attempting to keep the mood light, although she could certainly appreciate what he was saying.  There was no questioning that things had changed definitively.  In past summers, if she hadn't been home, she had at least been at the Burrow or Grimmauld Place, whereas this summer, she'd spent far less time with her family than ever before.  But between Scorpius and her friends and work and the Quidditch championships, she'd just been busier than ever before – hadn't even spent nearly as much time with Al as she was used to – and she knew that it was an adjustment that her parents were still struggling to cope with.  "Besides, _you_ were the one who insisted I work so much.  If you'd let me lie around on my arse instead, you'd have seen more of me."

 

"Point taken," her dad laughed as he picked up the _Daily Prophet_ and whatever seriousness had crept into their conversation disappeared as quickly it had arisen.

 

"So that's that," her mum said brightly as she re-entered the kitchen a moment later.  "Why don't you plan on arriving at Madam Malkin's by ten?  That should give you plenty of time to do what you need to."

 

"And give me time to browse a bit at Flourish & Blotts before lunching," Rose grinned.

 

"Ah, her ulterior motive," her dad muttered from behind his paper.

 

Rose rolled her eyes and watched her mum do the same.  "You know," her mum continued, "I wonder if I ought to see that Hugo's robes still fit; I wouldn't put it past him to have already outgrown everything we bought him last month.  He's almost as tall as you, Ron."

 

"You make it sound as if it's a bad thing," her dad said playfully from behind his paper, and her mum ran her fingers through his hair then leaned down and kissed him, whispering, "Never," against his cheek.

 

"Oh god, not again...are you two _trying_ to torture me?"  Rose pretended to gag.  

 

"Yeah, spare us, please," Hugo chimed in, and Rose jerked around.  As odd as it was that she was up early, the fact that Hugo was out of bed before nine o'clock was borderline astonishing.

 

"And good morning to you, too," their mum said with a smile, which was echoed by their dad's "G'morning."

 

"And what are you doing up so early?" Rose asked as he took his seat next to her.

 

"I dunno.  I got up to use the loo and couldn't go back to sleep with you lot making so much noise down here," he replied somewhat irritably, running his hand through his curly brown hair.  "Besides, I could ask the same of you."

  
"I've no idea, to be honest," Rose giggled, nodding to his hair.  "If you're trying to make it look less like a bird's nest, you're doing a poor job of it."

 

"She's right, you know," their mum agreed.  "You need a haircut, Hugo."

 

"I don't _want_ a haircut, Mum.  I like it the way it is," he grumbled, surreptitiously smacking Rose's thigh under the table and mouthing, "Thanks a lot."

 

Rose rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she mouthed "Anytime" in response.  She met his glare with a smirk then slid her barely touched breakfast over in front of him.  "Here, consider this a peace offering."

 

"Rose, you hardly ate anything," her mum sighed, and Rose shrugged.

 

"I guess I'm not hungry."

 

"How can you not be hungry?" Hugo asked as he swallowed a large bite, and Rose shook her head, a look of disgust on her face.

 

"Ew, Hugo.  It's bad enough to have to hear you talk with your mouth full, but must you show it to me as well?"

 

"Yep," he smirked, purposely chomping his food even more exaggeratedly.

 

"You really should eat something, Rose –" her mum started again, and Rose shook her head and giggled.

 

"Really, Mum, I don't want anything.  But I promise I'll eat whatever you want me to at lunch, all right?"

 

Hugo looked up from his plate.  "What's going on for lunch?"

 

"I don't know what _you're_ doing, but _I'm_ having lunch with Mum at the Leaky."

 

"Rose is going to Madam Malkin's and then to your uncle's shop this afternoon," her mum explained.

 

"Well isn't today just your lucky day?" he retorted sarcastically.

 

"Jealous, are you?" Rose teased, and Hugo snorted.

 

"Oh yeah, I'm terribly jealous because being fitted for new robes is _so much fun_."

 

Rose sniggered.  No matter how old they were, neither she nor Hugo was capable of letting go entirely of the snark that had always accompanied their relationship, each one fuelling that of the other.  She was in the process of preparing a snappy retort when Hugo interrupted her thoughts.

 

"Oi, Rosie, look."

 

Rose glanced around in time to see one of the school's owls enter through the open window and drop two envelopes onto the table in front of herself and Hugo.

 

"And are those what I think they are?" her dad asked, dropping his paper down to the table, and Rose noted that her mum was looking at the envelopes eagerly.

 

"It's about time they've finally arrived," her mum said, her tone a mixture of excitement and irritation.  "I don't know why they wait until the last minute.  I think they're getting later and later every year."

 

Hugo sniggered as he reached for his and began tearing it open on one end.  "We're not leaving until Friday, Mum."

 

"Yes, I'm well aware when you're leaving –" she stopped mid-sentence and Rose turned in time to see her brother holding up a shiny Prefect badge as her mum exclaimed, "Oh, Hugo!" and leaned over to hug him.

 

"You aren't surprised, are you, Mum?" he asked jokingly as he fidgeted in her embrace and she finally released him.

 

"None of us are surprised," their dad laughed as he clapped Hugo on the shoulder.  "Congratulations, son."

 

"Least of all you, I expect," Rose giggled as she elbowed Hugo, who waggled his eyebrows and smirked smugly, in the ribs.

 

"We're so proud of you, Hugo," their mum said excitedly then looked expectantly from Rose's face to the envelope in her hand.  "Well, go on then.  It's your turn."

 

"Fine, but I already know what's in mine," Rose answered as she tore open the seal on her letter, "...and what isn't."

 

Hugo laughed.  "Yeah, could you imagine them giving Head Girl to someone who's had as many detentions as you?  I thought Neville was mental enough when he made you a Prefect, but if they gave you Head Girl, they'd all need to have their heads examined."

 

"And you can just shut it, you know," Rose replied sarcastically, reaching over under the table and pinching her little brother hard on the back and grinning vindictively when he yelped.  She wasn't irritated by what he'd said - she completely agreed and had always suspected she'd been chosen as a Prefect at least in part to appease her mother.  But while her parents knew about _most_ of her detentions over the previous three years, she'd managed to keep some of them under wraps, and she wasn't in any mood to divulge the circumstances of those others any time soon.

 

As she'd expected to, she pulled out the folded-up booklist and the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain's badge, and even though she wasn't surprised to be named Captain, she couldn't help the satisfied smile she wore when she held it up and grinned at her dad.  "Captain."

 

"All right, Rosie!" her dad beamed, taking the badge from her and holding it up between them.

 

"Thanks, Dad."  Immediately, her thoughts flew to Scorpius and how sweet it would be for the two of them to face off, each as Captain, in their final match early next year.  Her smile faded slightly at the fleeting look of disappointment that crossed her mother's face.  "I, uh –" Rose stopped mid-thought when a large tawny owl flew through the open window and settled on the table in front of her, a small cream-coloured paper in its beak.  She exchanged the note for a small piece of toast she tore from Hugo's plate, and the owl flew off as Rose unfolded it, not at all surprised to read "I'm Head Girl!" scribbled across the paper in large letters.

 

"Ellie," she replied to everyone's quizzical looks.  "She's Head Girl."  She looked back to her mother.  "I'm sorry, Mum," she mumbled.  "I know you were hoping that I'd somehow surprise everyone, but..."  

 

"Oh no, Rose, I couldn't be more pleased for you," her mother replied quickly, wearing a proud smile, and she reached forward and took Rose's hand in hers, squeezing it.  "Congratulations.  You'll make a wonderful captain."

 

Rose felt a tremendous amount of relief wash over her at her mum's reaction.  She really _shouldn't_ have expected a different result, but Rose also knew that being Head Girl had been something that once meant a great deal to her mum, and she hadn't exactly kept it a secret as they were growing up that she'd have been terribly chuffed for her children to be named Head Girl and Boy in their seventh years.  Then again, as Hugo had _so_ _lovingly_ put it, it had been a big enough shock when she'd been named Prefect before her fifth year, something that Rose, much to her own surprise, had actually felt rather pleased and honoured by.  She couldn't deny that she had enjoyed the perks – and the minimal responsibilities – that came with a Prefect badge, but Head Girl was another story entirely, and it hadn't appealed to her…ever.  Rather, from day one, she had tried to make it abundantly clear to everyone – and especially her mum – that she had no desire whatsoever to be named Head Girl, nor had Rose ever been under any sort of illusion that she actually would be; aside from her grades, she wasn't in the least deserving of the honour as the school's leading female representative.  And it had only added to her lack of desire for it when her long-time best friend had confided in her that she wanted the position and then proceeded to do everything in her power to receive it since they were first years.  

 

"I hope you realise I'm so proud of both of you," their mum said, looking from Rose to Hugo, and Rose saw that she had tears in her eyes.

 

"Aw, Mum," Hugo whined, looking uncomfortable.  "You're not gonna get all weepy on us, are you?"  He began shovelling the remainder of his breakfast into his mouth, and Rose was sure he wanted to finish eating as quickly as possible so he could get out of there before their mum shed any real tears.

 

"Nah," their dad said as he leaned over and pulled their mum into a one-armed hug, nodding toward the Floo and smirking, "your mum's just got misty-eyed imagining how impossible Romilda will be to live with after this," Rose's dad laughed.  "I'll make a point not to be anywhere near the Improper Use office anytime soon."

 

Hugo nearly choked on his eggs and Rose giggled, while their mum swatted playfully at their dad's chest, admonishing, " _Ron_ ," although it was evident from her smile and tone that she was joking as well.  "Naturally Romilda and Terry are beside themselves, what with each of them having been Heads, and rightfully so.  To hear Neville and Septima tell it, she's more than earned Head Girl over the years."

 

"Absolutely," Rose nodded and bit her lip, her mum's words reminding her that she hadn't heard anything from Scorpius yet, and her thoughts raced.  Of course, there were a number of reasons why she hadn't heard anything from him that had nothing to do with his not having been chosen as Head Boy, including the fact that she was supposed to be owling him.  Or maybe he wasn't awake yet or his parents were making such a fuss that he hadn't had time to owl her or he was waiting to tell her in person.  She drank the last of her coffee in one and pushed back from the table.

 

"Say, where're you going?" Hugo asked what her parents' expressions also questioned.

 

"Not that it's any of your concern," she deliberately looked pointedly at Hugo, "but I'm going to my room for a bit.  I've got an owl or two to send before I go to Diagon Alley."  She turned and headed for the door, only to pause at Hugo's quip.

 

"So you'll be sure and gloat to your competition about how Gryffindor's gonna kick their arses, yeah?"

 

Rose's grin widened reflexively and she called back over her shoulder, "Definitely," as she walked through the door.

 

Once she got upstairs, she closed the door to her room, took a quill and sheet of parchment from her desk, and sat on the edge of her window seat, looking out at the bright morning sun and chewing on the end of her quill as she thought about the events of the morning and mulled over what she wanted to say in her owl to Scorpius.  On the one hand, she wasn't sure if she needed to say anything more than give him her schedule and tell him when she wanted the two of them to meet up; but on the other hand, she didn't know if she really needed to ignore the fact that the school letters had arrived or not tell him that she'd been chosen as Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.  Really, she did believe all the reasons why he might not have owled her that morning, especially when, in her own mind, she couldn't think of anyone more qualified to be named either Head Boy or Slytherin Quidditch Captain than him and she couldn't even _imagine_ the Headmistress or his Head of House – who was also his best mate's mum – not giving either to him.  Then again, odder things had happened, and she couldn't completely overlook that Scorpius had had awful luck when it came to honours he should have received in the past.

 

In the end, she figured that if the roles were reversed, she would have wanted to know about what he'd received and not only about her plans for the day, and she quickly scribbled a note to him, telling him that she was going to Madam Malkin's and probably Flourish & Blotts before having lunch with her mum and asking him to meet her at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes at three o'clock.  She signed it with her usual _Love, R_ , adding with a flourish 'the one who will lead Gryffindor to another Quidditch Cup over Slytherin' on the line below before folding it neatly and sealing it into a small, cream-coloured envelope as she called for her owl.

 

"Take this to Scorpius, okay?" Rose said softly as she smoothed Athena's feathers and fed her a treat then gave her the letter.  And as she watched from her window seat as her owl grew smaller and smaller until she finally disappeared, Rose truly hoped that her instincts were right and that Scorpius hadn't been disappointed – yet again – by whatever had arrived for him in the post that morning.

 

 


	31. Chapter 31

** Chapter 31 **

 

 

"Miss Weasley, please stop fidgeting," Madam Malkin admonished.  She took another pin from her mouth and fastened the hem of Rose's new robes.  "I can't do this properly if you don't hold still."

 

 

"I'm sorry," Rose muttered with an apologetic smile as she studied her reflection in the full-length mirror, still somewhat taken aback at how _adult_ she looked compared to even the year before.  "And Mum wanted me to apologize again for the rush.  I was supposed to have come in already, but I kept putting it off, thinking that I had plenty of time, but somehow the summer got away from me and when booklists arrived this morning, and I –"

 

 

"You aren't the first to put off what you should have already done, and you certainly won't be the last," Madam Malkin said with a chuckle.  "If booklists arrived only this morning, I've no doubt I'll see many of your classmates in the upcoming days, and most years, there's someone who waits until closing time the day before you lot leave."

 

 

"Then I suppose the Monday before isn't too awful, is it?" Rose replied, watching Madam Malkin through her reflection in the full-length mirror and feeling slightly less guilty about waiting so late. 

 

 

"Not at all, dear," Madam Malkin assured her as she placed the final pin and stood up.  "And I believe that's that," she proclaimed, dusting her hands on her robes while she moved back and eyed the hem.  "Yes, that'll do nicely," she finished with a nod.  Rose took that as her cue and stepped off the stool, carefully removing the garment and handing it over to Madam Malkin who draped it over her left arm before pulling out a notepad and a Quick-Quotes Quill.

 

 

"And when will you be picking them up?"

 

 

"This afternoon, if it isn't too much trouble."

 

 

Madam Malkin nodded, her quill scratching along the notepad, which she sent, along with Rose's robes, to the top of a small stack atop a nearby work table with a swish of her wand then smiled at Rose distractedly.  "Not at all.  We'll have them pressed and ready by noon, but you can come for them any time before six."

 

 

"Yeah, of course.  And thanks again," she said, although she was fairly sure she hadn't been heard; without waiting for a response, Madam Malkin had turned and was focusing her attention on a young girl who couldn't have been older than a second year, wearing Hufflepuff robes and standing on the footstool in front of the next mirror.

 

 

"Now, Miss Dunham, let's see how you much you've grown this year…" 

 

 

Rose picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, walking distractedly to the front of the store, all the while watching the young girl getting measured.  Although she knew it, obviously, she hadn't really thought on it until that very moment that this was the last year she would be shopping for school robes, and she grinned, recalling fondly the anticipation she'd felt during that first trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies before her first year at Hogwarts, the mixture of anxiety and excitement during that first trip with Al on the Hogwarts Express, and her exhilaration at finally seeing the inside of the castle and starting classes once she'd arrived.

 

 

So many things had changed in the previous six years.

 

 

_She_ had changed so much in the previous six years.  

 

 

There was no question she had entered Hogwarts very much her mother's daughter – studious and obedient and anxious to please – although she had never been quite the 'know-it-all' Hermione Granger had, by all accounts, been.  But once she'd got away from home and the expectations that she follow in her mother's footsteps, Rose had quickly figured out precisely what level of effort she needed to put forth in order to excel with the least amount of actual work, had allowed herself some slack, and had, at least since her third year – much to her mum's chagrin and her dad's enthusiasm – appreciated the social aspects of school a good deal more than the academics. 

 

 

That wasn't to say she wasn't terribly grateful that school had always been easy for her and that positioning herself at the top of her class – and maintaining it – hadn't been all that difficult.  Although she didn't readily voice it, Rose was extremely proud of her academic record, and she relished the knowledge that _she_ had achieved eleven Outstandings, something even her mum hadn't accomplished.  And she was entirely certain that, no matter how proficient she might be at Potions or how stellar her recommendations, the Department of Mysteries wouldn't have even considered her for a position, much less offered her an interview, had she not retained her high marks.

 

 

But she would never pretend that classes and schoolwork had been the highlight of her time at Hogwarts.  She couldn't – and wouldn't – deny that her fondest thoughts of the previous six years at school revolved almost entirely around the people she'd shared them with.  She and Al had arrived at Hogwarts luckier than most of their fellow first years, with a slew of older cousins, not to mention James, who were more than willing to show the two of them 'the ropes.'  They were also starting school with three very close friends – namely, Simon and Camille Macmillan and, of course, Ellie Boot – with whom they'd practically grown up and who were willing accomplices in their mischief.  And once they'd graduated from being "ickle firsties" to second years and then again when they'd inherited their places in the rotation for the Marauder's Map in the summer before their third year, she and Al had had great fun discovering all the hidden passageways and nooks and areas of the castle and grounds, a great many of which she and Scorpius had made good use for much of the previous term.

 

 

And then, of course, there was Scorpius.  As she thought of him, Rose's heart fluttered and her smile involuntarily widened.  There was no questioning his impact on her first six years at school, even before they had started dating – the importance of their friendship and the results of their good-natured competition, not to mention how bloody good-looking he’d become and how he’d grown into his Quidditch uniform – or that he would play an even bigger role during her seventh year and beyond if she had her way about things and if she could believe all the things he'd been saying to her about their being together the future.

 

 

Then again, even as open as he had been with his feelings about her of late, he could still be terribly frustrating at times, and purposefully so.  Immediately, Rose's thoughts shifted to his failure earlier that morning when, no more than ten minutes after she'd sent hers to him, he'd sent her an owl agreeing to meet her at three o'clock at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, as she'd requested but not even mentioning whether he had been named Head Boy or Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, although the tone of his owl had been upbeat, so even without the confirmation, she couldn't help thinking that he had good news for her when she saw him later that afternoon.

 

 

Rose was still lost in her thoughts, mindlessly watching Madam Malkin's tape measure taking the young girl's measurements when a voice shook her from her reverie, and she turned back towards the cashier.

 

 

"Uh, yeah, sorry," she said, handing the man twenty Galleons before exiting, glancing distractedly back at the front door, before walking next door to Flourish & Blotts.  She looked down at her watch as she pushed open the door to see that it was just past eleven, slightly less than an hour before she was due to meet her mum at The Leaky Cauldron.

 

 

"Where to start," she mumbled to herself as unfolded the sheets of parchment she'd pulled from her bag and skimmed the lists on both pages, having volunteered to pick up Hugo's books as well as her own, and she quickly decided to get their books for school first so that she would have some time to browse before noon.

 

 

She headed to the far corner of the store and slipped between the two back stacks.  She ran her fingers lightly along the spines of several books, perusing the titles for those she needed, stopping when they came to _Moste Potente Potions_.  She had been thrilled to see that Professor Zabini required it for her seventh year N.E.W.T. class, and after pulling it from the shelf, Rose couldn't resist flipping it open to a random page somewhere near the middle and began skimming the ingredients of a beautification potion, jumping slightly when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

 

 

“I can’t imagine that you’re looking at that particular potion for yourself.”

 

 

Rose spun around with a surprised gasp and came face to face with Scorpius, who was grinning at her expectantly.  Without hesitating, she slammed the book shut, shoved it back onto the shelf, hurled herself forward, and threw her arms around his neck.

 

 

“What are you doing here?" Rose asked breathlessly as she pulled back to look at his face, making little attempt to maintain her excitement, seeing as she was quite sure her embrace coupled with the smile she wore and the way she was gazing at him gave her away entirely. 

 

 

"Surprising you, it would seem.”  

 

 

She giggled.  “Yes, I'm stunned to see you.  But, really, what are you doing here?  You got my owl about lunch, and I wasn't expecting to see you until later."

 

 

“My father needed some things from the Apothecary, and I volunteered to come since I was planning to be here at noon anyway,” he answered, shrugging his shoulders and tightening his hold on her waist.  "Besides, I was anxious to see you and didn't want to wait until after you'd finished up this afternoon at your uncle's shop.  So, on the off-chance that you wouldn't mind if I surprised you here first, just for a few minutes, I took it –”

 

 

“Is that so?” she retorted as she disentangled herself and leaned back against the opposite shelf, arms folded over her chest.  Scorpius was clearly in an excellent and playful mood, and she was now completely certain he'd received good news that morning.  “Well, as lovely as that might be, I’m cross with you, you know.”

 

 

"Yeah?  Why’s that?” he asked, wearing that infuriatingly appealing smirk as he leaned back against the other side and mirrored her stance.

 

 

"You know why,” she countered.  “Your owl was _lacking_ in information.”

 

 

“And what information might that be?”

 

 

Rose narrowed her eyes, fighting back a grin.  “Well, if you don’t know, I’m certainly not going to tell you.”

 

 

“You’re not, are you?”

 

 

“No, I think not.”

 

 

She held firm to the smug, almost-smile on her lips and arched an eyebrow at him as they stared at one another in silence for a few seconds, and she could read the same sort of amusement on his face.  Finally, he unfolded his arms and slipped his right hand into his pocket.

 

 

“I suppose you were speaking of this then?” he asked, attempting to sound nonchalant as he pulled his hand from his pocket and held up a shiny silver badge adorned with the letters “HB.”

 

 

“Oh you,” Rose practically exclaimed, once again wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips firmly against his, internally shrieking, “Yes!” and mentally bouncing about all the while she was kissing him, and she wondered whether, in some ways, she might have wanted this for Scorpius even more than he’d wanted it himself.  

 

 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me in your owl this morning,” she continued when they broke apart.

 

 

“I wanted to surprise you,” he repeated, no longer attempting to hold back his smile.

 

 

“Well you didn’t surprise me, you idiot,” she replied, playfully swatting his arm.  “I _knew_ you’d get it.”

 

 

He didn’t respond right away, brushing her hair back from her face instead, and Rose could see how pleased he was by what she'd said.  “ _Idiot_ , you say?  Hmm…I’d be careful with the name-calling if I were you, considering that I'm jointly responsible for picking your patrol partner for the upcoming year.  Remember, I _could_ partner you with Hugo…or better yet, with your cousin, Lily.”

 

 

"Ha!" Rose scoffed.  “The joke's on you; you know you can’t partner me with a fifth year."

 

 

“Says you,” Scorpius replied smugly.  “Just because it hasn’t been done in the past doesn’t mean we can’t start it anew this year.  You know how the Headmistress stresses unity…all I’d have to do is convince her that we need more interaction between the younger and older students, and –”

 

 

“Fine.  You win,” she giggled.  “The privilege of calling you an idiot is not a fair trade with being partnered with either of them.”

 

 

“Good choice.”  He waggled his eyebrows and she felt one of his hands move from her waist to the small of her back.  “Although I’m more than willing to hear what _is_ a fair trade for being partnered with someone else…say, the newly-appointed Head Boy.”

 

 

She rolled her eyes as she toyed with the collar of his t-shirt and muttered, “It’s only been two hours and already the power’s already gone to your head.  I wonder what dirty deeds you’ll try to convince me of where Quidditch is concerned.”

 

 

He coughed in an attempt to cover up a chuckle before pouting exaggeratedly.  “Sorry, but you’ll have to take _that_ up with Trenton.”

 

 

Rose looked up at him in surprise.  “Really?  _Trenton_ is your Quidditch Captain?”

 

 

“Yep,” he said as he nodded.

 

 

“I’m stunned it isn’t you.”  In all honestly, it hadn’t occurred to her even once that Scorpius, who was the only member of Slytherin’s team to have played since second year and was, by far, their best player, wouldn’t be chosen as the team's captain.

 

 

“Don’t be.  Pansy’d already told me that if I got Head Boy, she was giving it to Trenton, so I expected it.  It's only fair...”

 

 

“I suppose so,” she conceded grudgingly.  Although she could understand why Professor Zabini might give it to someone else – and she certainly agreed that Trenton Southerby was the next best choice – Rose was slightly disappointed.  “But I’ve been _so_ looking forward to going head to head against you, the both of us Captains.”

 

 

“We’ll still be going head to head,” Scorpius moved forward, causing Rose to move backwards until her back rested against the shelves once more and his body was pressed against hers, “and may the best Seeker win.”

 

 

“Oh, I intend to,” she retorted seconds before his lips crushed against hers.  

 

 

She allowed herself to kiss him back for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling back.  While a part of her wanted nothing more than to pull him against her and continue snogging him until they were both breathless, Rose could hear that nagging voice in her head reminding her that they were in the middle of the Potions section of Flourish & Blotts on the day that booklists had been sent out, where anyone could come upon them, and that it was wildly inappropriate for them to be caught snogging madly by any of their classmates, or worse, by their parents.  

 

 

"Scorpius...people can see us..."

 

 

He groaned softly as he released her and she moved out of his embrace.  "Yeah, I know."  He cleared his throat and stepped back, looking at his watch.  "What time are you meeting your mum again?"

 

 

"Noon.  What time is it now?"  She reached over and grabbed his wrist, lifting his arm and seeing that it was a quarter of.  "Oh bugger.  I'll be late if I don't get a move on..." she batted her eyelashes at him and smiled brightly, "unless I can convince you to give me a hand."

 

 

Scorpius smirked.  "I'm sure you can convince me somehow."

 

 

She cradled _Moste Potente Potions_ in the crook of her arm, laced her fingers through his, and began walking through the stacks.  "Well, c'mon then, and I'll let you help me get the rest of these."

 

 

Scorpius took the page of parchment she was holding up.  " _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ , _Standard Book of Spells Level Five_ , and _Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts_...aren't you a bit beyond these?"

 

  
Rose nudged him with her elbow.  "Aren't you the amusing one?  If you must know, I told Hugo I'd get his books, too."

 

 

"That was right generous of you, wasn't it?"

 

 

"Haven't you noticed I'm an extremely generous person?"  She ran her hand up Scorpius's arm.

 

 

"Quite generous," he agreed, waggling his eyebrows.  "Are you sure I can't convince you to ditch your mum and sneak into the back stacks with me instead?"

 

 

"Later.  I promise," she whispered before reaching up and giving him a quick peck on the cheek then gesturing to her left.  "C'mon, this way."

 

 

Scorpius shrugged, chuckling and squeezing her fingers.  "You can't blame a bloke for trying."  

 

 

"Don't stop trying," she directed, wishing they could, in fact, slip into the back, get lost among the stacks, and snog until their hearts' content.  "Help me take care of these and then you can walk me to The Leaky to meet Mum, yeah?"

 

 

"Yeah, all right.  I suppose we'd best get to it _if we have to_."

 

 

Twenty minutes later, the two of them walked through the door to The Leaky Cauldron, and Rose immediately saw her mum at a table in the middle of the room.  "There she is," she said to Scorpius as she waved and quickly made her way over to the table.

 

 

"Hey, Mum."  She turned to Scorpius and with a smile and a "Thanks," motioned for him to set the bag containing her and Hugo's books on the seat of the chair next to her mum.

 

 

"Hello, Rose.  Hello, Scorpius."  Although she smiled, her mum looked surprised to say the least and not overly pleased as she caught Rose's eye and started to stand, pausing when Scorpius shook his head.

 

 

"Oh no, please, Mrs. Weasley, don't get up."

 

 

She gestured to the empty seat across from her.  "Are you joining us?"  

 

 

Rose opened her mouth to answer, but Scorpius beat her to it.

 

 

"Thanks for asking, but no.  I've got a few more errands to run for my dad."  He flashed Rose a smile.  "See you at three," he said quietly, brushing his hand against hers then looked back to her mum.  "Bye, Mrs. Weasley."

 

 

"Good bye, Scorpius."

 

 

"Bye, I'll see you later."  Rose watched him leave as she sat down opposite her mother.

 

 

"He was welcome to stay, Rose."

 

 

"No, really, he never intended to.  I hadn't planned on seeing him this morning, but he had to go to the Apothecary for his dad and he surprised me first, while I was getting my and Hugo's books," she explained, trying to keep any sense of 'I-told-you-so' out of her tone as she found it impossible to keep herself from grinning.  "He didn't want to wait until this afternoon to tell me that he's Head Boy."

 

 

"Is he now?"  Her mum arched an eyebrow and smiled.  "Well, that hardly comes as a surprise.  Please give him my congratulations."

 

 

Rose's slight smile blossomed into more of a beam.  "Yeah, I will.  He's rather excited."

 

 

"I'm sure he is.  And how do he and Ellie get on?  It's important that they can work well together."

 

 

"Oh, they will.  They're quite good friends."  She giggled.  "And honestly, they've both been preparing for this as long as I can remember."

 

 

Her mum paused when their server arrived to take their order then fixed her with a knowing look.  "So I take it you took care of your robes –"

 

 

"I did," Rose replied, "and she said not to worry about waiting until today to come in; she's sure that there'd be plenty of others who don't even make it in until Thursday."

 

 

Her mum rolled her eyes slightly, but rather than reply with the expected reproach about Rose's ability to procrastinate, she said instead, "And you got your books; thanks again for getting your brother's as well."

 

 

Rose shrugged.  "It wasn't anything, especially seeing as he only needed three."  

 

 

"It's quite helpful when your professors don't change editions and he can use your old ones."  Her mum opened the bag and took _Moste Potente Potions_ from the top of the stack.  "I do have to hand it to Pansy; using this for her seventh year classes is inspired."

 

 

Rose nodded excitedly.  "It is rather brilliant, isn't it?  Cameron told me that she'll have us brewing some really interesting potions this year," she paused and grinned, "although I've already done the Polyjuice –"

 

 

"And pretty well mastered it by all accounts," her mum interjected, wearing a smug smile of her own.

 

 

Rose blushed; she was unbelievably pleased by her mum's praise but as per usual, she didn't quite know how to reply.  "And the one that I bought for Defence looks really interesting, too."  She fumbled through the bag and pulled it out.  "It's called _Strategic Defence_ by someone called Merrythought –"

 

 

"He's using Galatea Merrythought's book as a textbook?"  Her mum practically grabbed the textbook from Rose's hand and began thumbing through it.

 

 

"Who is Galatea Merrythought?"

 

 

"She was the Defence professor when Dumbledore started at Hogwarts," her mum explained, still flipping through the pages, "and the last Defence professor before..." she hesitated and took a deep breath, lowering her voice, "...before Riddle cursed the position."

 

 

"Oh."

 

 

"Didn't you study that in History of Magic?" her mum asked in disbelief, replacing the book inside the bag with the others.  

 

 

"Well, yeah, you know, of course we've studied all about _him_ , about Riddle, I mean, since first year.  But I don't recall ever hearing anything about her," Rose replied, thinking back to her last year of History of Magic and Professor Gaspar's lessons about Voldemort, but coming up blank.  "But then again, he mainly focused on the politics of the Blood Wars and didn't spend a great deal of time on specific events or even the people involved other than those of you who were instrumental in it."  She sighed, pausing when the server brought their lunch and waiting until he was out of earshot to continue.

 

 

"Honestly, I don't miss that class at all.  I always felt a little... I dunno, _weird_ in there when he'd mention you or Dad or Uncle Harry..." mentally adding ' _or Scorpius's granddad and dad_ ' to the list.  "It's a bit surreal when I think about all the stuff you did and what you all went through, especially when I think about the fact that you were my age – or younger – when you did it all."

 

 

"Yes, I suppose it would be, for all of you," her mum replied, looking thoughtful.  "Your dad and I have explained to you before how we've tried to shield you and Hugo from as much of that as we could, and Harry and Ginny have as well, but it was easier when you were children –"

 

 

"And not studying about the lot of you in class every year," Rose finished with a giggle.  "But you know, Al has it the worst, looking so like Uncle Harry.  I remember one time, in our first year, when the Headmistress actually called him 'Harry.'  Poor Al...he was terribly embarrassed."

 

 

"It is rather uncanny how much he favours Harry, only without the glasses," her mum agreed, sighing and wearing an almost bittersweet look.  "And he does so even more at seventeen than he did when he was younger."

 

 

"Mum?  What is it?"

 

 

"Oh, don't mind me."  Her mother shook her head and chuckled softly.  "It's nothing really.  Just your mum being a bit sentimental, is all."

 

 

Rose looked at her quizzically.  "About Uncle Harry?"

 

 

"No," her mum replied quickly.  "Not about Harry; about you and your brother.  You're leaving on Friday for your final year, Rose.  You won't understand this until you're a mum yourself, but sometimes it's hard to believe that you're seventeen.  It seems like only yesterday you were starting Hogwarts and now you're about to start your seventh year."

 

 

"It seems longer to me than just yesterday."

 

 

"But only a day or two, right?"

 

 

"A week tops."

 

 

Her mum laughed softly, and Rose felt an overwhelming surge of affection engulf her.  She didn't always agree with her mum – in fact, and especially recently, they disagreed often and somewhat vehemently on many accounts – but there was no one she respected more than her parents, and she had, over the course of the summer, experienced a growing appreciation for her mother.

 

 

"It is rather hard to believe, isn't it, that your summer of hard labour is over?"

 

 

Rose grinned back.  "Yeah, and it's been quite the _hard labour_ , too, although Alexander isn't nearly the tyrant Paul's always accused him of being.  But I've promised to keep it a secret, so that he can uphold his reputation of being an arse."  She and Alexander had never been particularly close, but she'd come to recognize that, although he came across as being somewhat stiff, he had a wicked, albeit rarely shown, sense of humour, and she knew that her relationship with him had evolved into one of mutual respect, for which she was terribly grateful. 

 

 

Her mum chuckled.  "His secret is safe with me."

 

 

Rose took a drink then said quietly, "I suppose I really should thank you and Dad."

 

 

"Thank us for what, dear?" her mum asked, leaning down to take a bite of her sandwich. 

 

 

"For making me work there this summer.  I won't lie and tell you that there weren't _several_ mornings when it was all I could do to get up and get there, but I've really learned a lot."

 

 

"You know that if George and Alexander hadn't thought you were up to it, they wouldn't have trusted you with what they did.  They recognized your talent immediately."

 

 

"Oh...um...thanks, Mum," she muttered, feeling the deep blush rising over her cheeks and the involuntary grin on her lips.  Her mother had never been one to blindly hand out compliments, but although Rose was caught off guard by her mum's comments, she didn't question her sincerity.

 

 

"Don't thank me," her mum answered quickly.  "I'm only repeating what they've said.  George has been telling your dad all summer what a wonderful job you've been doing, and just last week, at our weekly lunch, Katie was saying how they'll miss you."

 

 

"Really?" Rose was gobsmacked. 

 

 

"Really, Rose.  So did I hear Scorpius say that he was meeting you at three?" her mum asked over the edge of her teacup before taking a sip.

 

 

"Yeah, he's coming to pick me up at Uncle George's and we're going to hang around Diagon Alley for a bit.  Scorpius wants to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies for a new broomstick care kit, and we'll probably stop back by Flourish & Blotts since we're not due at James's until later."

 

 

"Please don't forget about your robes," her mother implored.

 

 

"Don't worry, Mum, I won't.  She said they'd be ready by noon, so I was thinking I'd go after we've finished lunch to pick them up and then Floo home with them and all these," she gestured to the stack of books, "that way I don't have to keep up with them for the rest of the day."

 

 

"Good idea."  Her mum smiled.  "I can't help hoping that you'll be visiting Madam Malkin's next year for Ministry robes."

 

 

Rose giggled.  "I thought the same thing as I was leaving there this morning.  I probably shouldn't admit this – especially to you – but...I _really_ want this, to be an Unspeakable, I mean."

 

 

"And why shouldn't you admit it, 'especially to me'?"

 

 

"Oh, you know..."  Wearing an almost sheepish look, she bit her lip and let out a deep breath.  "All those years of scoffing at even the idea of working for the Ministry and swearing that I would never even consider it.  But then this opportunity with the Department of Mysteries came along, and it was something I was really interested in, and...well, it's kind of hard to admit to you and Dad that I was wrong about _everything_."

 

 

"Everyone changes his or her mind at one time or another, Rose."  Her mum reached across the table and squeezed Rose's hand.  "It's a sign of maturity when you can acknowledge your prior misconceptions about things."

 

 

"So you're not going to say 'I told you so' or take the piss too awful bad if I get it?"

 

 

Her mum bit back her laughter, attempting to look completely serious.  "You're asking a lot of us.  I think I can probably manage, but I daresay you'd be asking nearly the impossible from your dad."

 

 

"Maybe so." Rose conceded.  "I suppose there's nothing really I can do about it, is there?"

 

 

"Probably not.  And not only from him, mind you.  I have it on good account that Molly has always fancied having an Unspeakable in the family..."

 

 

"So now you're blaming it on Gran?" Rose laughed.  "Although I shouldn't be terribly surprised, should I?  Gran _has_ made it quite clear that she expects me to get it, and I have it on good authority that she's even said as much to Uncle Percy, as if that would matter."

 

 

"No, not where your Uncle Percy is concerned," her mum agreed.  "But it isn't entirely his decision anyway.  Percy is instrumental in the initial application acceptance process and he conducts the initial interviews, but the Minister has final say as to the Department of Mysteries."

 

 

"That's fine by me.  I don't want any favours from Uncle Percy, nor because you and Dad, or Granddad, or Uncle Harry, or _any_ of you are who you are," Rose declared emphatically.  "If I can't get it on my own merits, I don't want it."

 

 

"And you will.  If you become an Unspeakable, I assure you, it _will_ be on your merits," her mum replied just as emphatically. 

 

 

"But sometimes merit isn’t enough, is it...at least for some people?" Rose muttered, her eyes focused on the ice cubes she swirled in her glass with her finger, looking up when her mum cleared her throat.

 

 

"I know you don't understand why things are the way they are right now," her mum leaned forward, speaking in a low, quiet voice, "but one day, when you're older – and a bit more objective – I hope you'll at least recognize the thought processes behind them."

 

 

"But it's so unfair, Mum –"

 

 

"Rose, darling, _life_ is unfair."  Her mum sighed heavily.  "We can all identify things that have happened in our lives which weren't fair.  The key is to make the most of what we can and use those unfair events as motivation rather than disincentives."  She paused, as if contemplating her words carefully, before continuing, her voice once again low so that only Rose could hear, "I realize that you're still upset about what happened with Scorpius, and I do understand why.  And I agree with you that it's unfair.  But from everything I've seen, he hasn't dwelt on it, nor has he used it as an excuse to simply give up, has he?"

 

 

"No," Rose answered ardently.  "And he would _never_ give up.  He never gives up on anything."

 

 

Her mum reached over and took her hand.  "Neither do you."  She smiled tenderly.  "I'm proud of you, Rose.  I'm not sure I say that enough, but it's true.  Your dad and I couldn't be prouder of you and everything you've accomplished.  Your passion and commitment will serve you well, and I have no doubt that no matter what your future holds, whether it be the Department of Mysteries or professional Quidditch or running a branch of Wheezes or whatever you choose to do, you'll be successful."

 

 

Rose sat dumbfounded, staring at her mum, unable to speak due to the lump in her throat.  Although she had never doubted how much either of her parents loved their children, she and her mum had had a somewhat tumultuous relationship, especially of late, and to hear her mum say those things left Rose practically speechless.

 

 

Her mum's grin widened.  "Honestly, I see so much of your dad in you...clever and brilliant, and following the war, he could have done anything.  But he'd wanted to be an Auror for years, so he did what it took – went through training while helping George rebuild Wheezes at the same time – and look at what he's accomplished, how he successful he's been at both.  You have those same natural abilities, Rose.  Things come easily for you, and when you put your mind to it, you can do anything."

 

 

"Thanks, Mum," she said finally after taking a deep breath and ensuring that she wasn't going to shed any of the tears that were welled up in her eyes.  "I can't tell you what that means to me.  I hope I don't...I just don't want to let either of you down."

 

 

"You won't, love.  _You couldn't_ ," her mum replied with a smile and a slight shake of her head.  "And I agree that keeping your marks high and preparing for N.E.W.T.s is paramount, but I also want to encourage you to enjoy yourself this final year of school.  You'll never again have this degree of freedom from responsibility, and it's important that you take full advantage of it."

 

 

Rose stared at her mum in disbelief, wanting to ask, 'Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Weasley?'  Never before had she heard her mum encourage frivolity over school; rather, her dad had always also been the one to stress the importance of having a good time as well as doing well with her studies when her mum had seemed single-minded about class work

 

 

"All right," she managed finally.

 

 

Her mum gave Rose's fingers one more tight squeeze then released them and cleared her throat again, straightening up in her chair and glancing at her watch.  "I suppose I really should be getting back.  I left Maria to work up a summary of my cases for tomorrow, but I need to review them as well so I don't have to bring them home tonight."

 

 

Rose nodded, surreptitiously wiping her nose.  "Yeah, I probably need to, also, so that I'll have enough time to get back to spend some time with Alexander."  She followed her mum's lead and stood up, taking the bag containing her books which her mother was holding out to her.  "Thanks, Mum."

 

 

"You're welcome."  She motioned for Rose to go ahead and followed her to the front of the pub.  Rose looked back from the door before stepping through it, watching her mum paying for their meal and chatting with Hannah.  She waited outside for only a moment until her mum joined her.

 

 

"Thanks again, Mum," she repeated, "for lunch and...well, everything."

 

 

Her mum flashed a pleased smile.  "It was lovely, wasn't it?  I'm glad you agreed to meet me, even though it meant cancelling your plans with Scorpius."

 

 

"How did you know?" Rose asked incredulously.  "I didn't say anything –" 

 

 

"You didn't have to.  Didn't you know Divination was my favourite class?" her mum teased.

 

 

Rose laughed as she felt herself being pulled into a hug.  "Have a nice afternoon, dear.  Do try to be home before midnight, won't you, so that your dad won't be up all hours listening for you."

 

 

"I promise, Mum."

 

 

She watched her mum walk away, a spring in her step and ever confident as she waved hello or nodded to passersby, the sunlight reflecting off her hair, making the grey streaks appear almost blonde instead, and it struck Rose how really lovely her mum was.  And although she'd always known it, at least on some level, she vowed never again to let it escape her mind that Hermione Weasley was a pretty amazing woman and Rose was damn lucky to have her in her corner.

 


End file.
